The Twilight 25: Round One
by ElleCC
Summary: A collection of drabbles and one-shots written for The Twilight Twenty-Five challenge on LJ: September - November 2009. Characters, genres, universes, and ratings will vary. Likely to be Jasper-heavy. Includes a handful of FitV Universe pieces.
1. Touch

**Explanation at the end.**

**Anything you recognize in this chapter, or the next twenty-four, belongs to Stephenie Meyer (unless otherwise noted).**

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**The Twilight Twenty-Five**  
Prompt: Touch  
Pen name: ElleCC  
Pairing: Jasper / Bella  
Rating: K

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_**Touch**_

"You have a choice. You can live or die. But you must choose."

He didn't bother to qualify "live" or "die." We both knew there was something less alive and less dead than what we were right then.

I reached my hand toward him and he grasped it, long fingers sliding around my wrist as if binding us to my choice.

He tugged gently and I rose to my feet. For one non-existent heartbeat, we locked stares. Then he dropped my hand and stepped away.

He glanced forward, toward our future.

I took a deep breath and nodded.

We ran.

* * *

**Welcome to The Twilight 25. TT25 is an LJ community that challenges the authors who sign up to write twenty-five one-shots and/or drabbles, based on predetermined prompts, during a three-month period. A drabble is a 100-word work of fiction – just a snippet, really.**

**I will be posting each prompt as a separate chapter to keep things tidy.**

**If you want to check out the other authors who are participating, and their works, you can visit: http://thetwilight25(dot)livejournal(dot)com. I strongly encourage this – there are 71 authors registered – that's potential for 1775 new stories between now and December 1st. Woo!**

**I am using Word 2007 to do my word counts. It seems to be the most accurate.**

**Legna always makes sure my stuff is presentable.**

**This one could possibly become part of a longer work, at some point.**


	2. Sky

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**  
Prompt: Sky  
Pen name: ElleCC  
Pairing: --  
Rating: K

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_**Sky**_

"Stop fidgeting." I tugged his hand to halt the infernal little-boy energy, and then rang the doorbell with no hesitation; this was a years-long dream.

Nine years long, in fact.

"Mom?" I looked down at the eyes, so bright below the dark shock of hair sweeping his forehead. He was clutching a worn book to his chest as if he was afraid someone would take it. "Where are we?"

Precluding my answer, the door opened. The eyes that had long haunted me, the same shade of perfect, clear sky as those next to me, stared at me in surprise.

"Maria?"

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**You can blame Legna for this one, although she will deny any involvement. She had a nightmare after she betaed "An All-Consuming Fire" and I ran with it. Thanks, bb :) (Although, I'm sorry about the nightmare!)**

**And yes, that was Jasper / Maria.**


	3. Awkward

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**  
Prompt: Awkward  
Pen name: ElleCC  
Pairing: Bella  
Rating: T

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_**Awkward**_

In the kitchen, I dropped my backpack and grabbed an apple. I approached the family room and looked up just in time to see Renée and Phil quickly sit up on the couch.

"Baby, you're home early," Renée said lightly. My face flushed when I noticed her trying to subtly straighten her top.

"Um, study group was cancelled," I mumbled. "I'll be in my room."

The first time, it had been funny. The second time, embarrassing. The fifth time still gave me nightmares.

I picked up the plane ticket from my desk. January 17th. Maybe leaving wouldn't be so bad.

* * *

**Legna is ever-encouraging. LVP picked Awkward to be next. **


	4. Soft

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**  
Prompt: Soft  
Pen name: ElleCC  
Pairing: Jasper / Bella  
Rating: T

* * *

_**Soft**_

"How's it feel?"

"It stings a bit."

"It will for a little while before it starts itching. Stop twitching and let me see."

I pulled off my t-shirt and turned around. I felt him gently peel away the tape between my shoulder blades. "Is it okay?"

"A little red but otherwise perfect...."

It was his turn to trace inked skin and I broke out in goose bumps when his lips pressed softly just above his fingers.

"You were very brave, babe."

I shrugged. It seemed an insignificant discomfort to endure for a permanent reminder of what we could withstand, together.

* * *

**Legna and LVP helped. Thank you, ladies!**

**(And for those who are interested, this _is_ FitV Canon :)**


	5. Wood

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**  
Prompt: Wood  
Pen name: ElleCC  
Pairing: Emmett / Rosalie  
Rating: T

* * *

**_Wood_**

I could smell the garage on her seconds before she dropped lithely onto the branch next to me. Her golden hair was fluttering from her run.

"What are you doing?"

"Fly fishing," I cracked before looking back to the sketch I had done during the night.

"A treehouse?"

"The newlyweds have that cottage...."

"I don't think a treehouse is going to be very... durable." I could hear her smirk.

"Let's see if it can at least survive the day, okay?"

She picked up a hammer and tossed it end over end before catching it. "Okay, bubba. How can I help?"

* * *

**This is for Hmonster4. **

**Legna catches my mistakes.**


	6. Aesthetic

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**  
Prompt: Aesthetic  
Pen name: ElleCC  
Pairing: Jasper  
Rating: T

* * *

**_Aesthetic_**

I stood in front of the painting, studying it for the hundredth time. Once, I had owned a print of it, long ago misplaced during one of our countless moves.

She wrapped her arms around my waist, her palms splayed over my stomach.

"You love this," she stated.

"I do." I wondered if I had been projecting.

"It reminds me of...."

I waited for her to finish.

She continued with touch instead of words. Her fingertips drew short arcs over my chest, my ribs, up to my shoulders.

Then: "It's peaceful, somehow."

"It is." It was calm after the storm.

* * *

******Updated AN: This is intended to be AU, not a direct scene from "He & She." I hadn't realized my wording about being inspired by that story would be so confusing. Sorry about that! It was "He & She's" tale of how Bella and Jasper first met that gave me the painting idea.**

**Legna reassures me with dictionary definitions and kind words.**


	7. Mirror

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**  
Prompt: Mirror  
Pen name: ElleCC  
Pairing: Jasper / Bella  
Rating: K

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**_Mirror_**

"You _are_ worth it," he said quietly.

"So are you," I mumbled.

Sometimes I caught a look on his face when he thought no one was paying attention to him.

It was impossible to know, because I rarely heard him talk to anyone, let alone me, but I think that sometimes he worried that he was a burden, too much trouble, a bother, too _weak_ for anyone to love....

He watched me, dark eyes unblinking. When I got it, when my words fell into place in my head and I understood what I'd said, he smiled.

And I did, too.

* * *

**I hadn't really planned to do any AU stuff, but it keeps showing up.**

**Legna makes sure it all makes sense.**


	8. Crave

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**  
Prompt: Crave  
Pen name: ElleCC  
Pairing: Jasper  
Rating: T

* * *

_**Crave**_

The thirst has never stopped.

Not once in 142 years.

It wanes, sated by the hunt, but it is ever-present.

Fifty-five years of knowing there is another way, of conscious effort to blend in, has made it easier, but has not eradicated the need, the burn, the pain.

It makes me jittery, like an addict, although I am well-practiced at concealing it.

I can control it. Control is a struggle, but not an impossibility.

Except when the scent – fresh, strong, unexpected – of what I desire, _need,_ unites with sudden spikes of lust from five others.

Then, all bets are off.

* * *

**Legna is my smart cookie symbiote. (And Daisy is our smart cookie zygote.)**

**And, Legna did something _fantastic_ today. She posted her very first story. It's in my Favorites ("First Assignment"), or you can mosey on over to her profile (...net/~Legna989). It's Jasper / Bella and it's perfect :)**


	9. Retribution

**Important AN at the very bottom.**

* * *

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**  
Prompt: Retribution  
Pen name: ElleCC  
Pairing: Jasper, Bella (Peter / Charlotte)  
Rating: Somewhere between T and M

* * *

_**Retribution**_

I had failed.

Irrevocably.

My failure was etched on Peter's face and I wondered in a moment of contemplation if the change to his features would be permanent.

It had been my detour, my mistaken intuition, which had taken us off course on our way to the safe house. My "feeling" about goings-on in the abandoned warehouse in the meatpacking district had been wrong. The entire block had been silent and dark. We hadn't seen so much as a rat, but I still made Peter prowl around with me for ten minutes while I tried to quell the twinge in my gut.

We made it to the safe house thirty minutes later than promised and, by the look of things, fifteen minutes too late to stop the steadily growing pool of blood under Charlotte's body from starting.

Charlotte had started as a witness, a sudden breakthrough for our RICO case against the Volturi family. She had walked into the station on a weekday morning in the spring, and Peter and I had been there to catch her quietly given statement. Unfortunately, the _comare _of one of the most influential of the Volturi bosses was the first woman Peter had seriously looked at in years.

She had come to us because she wanted out. She was sick of the life she'd been leading for the past three years. She was sick of being quiet, of pretending she didn't hear the phone calls and the whispered conversations, didn't see the money changing hands or the silent yet loaded stares. She had heard enough to do damage to the family and too much to be safe.

Initially, she had refused our help. She had unloaded what she knew, promised to check back in every week, but wouldn't wear a wire or accept official protection. During ten weeks of check-ins, many over coffee at a rundown diner fifteen blocks from the station, she and Peter had grown close. He promised it wasn't affecting his objectivity about her case and I believed him; it didn't hurt that he was happier than he'd been since the mess with his ex-wife had ended five years ago. I wasn't going to stir the pot if I didn't have to.

Things had come to a head for Charlotte the second week in June when one of Caius Volturi's soldiers had seen her leaving the precinct.

She'd withstood Caius' questioning, swearing she was only at the station to report a stolen credit card for her sister, and had called Peter from a payphone in Upstate hours later, after having escaped from a bathroom in a house Caius owned out in West Hempstead.

We'd taken her immediately into protective custody and put her in a safe house in Westchester. Two weeks later, when Peter was afraid her location had been compromised, she was moved. Eight days after that, she was moved again. The day we arrived at the safe house too late was her third there.

The Volturis were persistent assholes, which unfortunately included being persistently enigmatic – part of the reason why Charlotte had been such a break in our case. Regardless of all of our suspicions about the family's activities, we had very little evidence and no one willing to speak against them. Until Charlotte.

As I watched Peter, hunched over Charlotte's body, his form as still as hers, I quietly catalogued all of the ways my failure would devastate our case, not the least of which was the mental trauma that had been done to my partner.

I had failed. Irrevocably.

We had radioed in a 10-13 as soon as we saw the broken window on the side of the house and couldn't raise Carlson on his radio. We found him in the front hall, beyond help, and Charlotte in the kitchen. As soon as we'd ascertained that Charlotte hadn't made it – I hoped Peter wasn't focusing on the three dark holes in her back – I left him to his grief. He would have done the same for me.

I wandered to Charlotte's bedroom. She'd only been there for three days, but my experience with women was that they nested wide and fast and Charlotte's room didn't disappoint. She had two framed photos next to her bed and I wasn't surprised to see that one was of her and Peter on the Staten Island Ferry. When had they taken that? The second was of her with a brunette who looked about her age – mid-twenties or so. I removed the back of the frame and slipped out the photograph.

The photo appeared to have been taken at a large gathering of some sort. I could make out seven tables with fancy flower centerpieces in the background. The tablecloths were red. The two girls were dressed in fancy gowns – off the shoulder numbers. Was it a Volturi event? If it was, how it was that Caius Volturi's _comare_ was in attendance? She hadn't mentioned anything to us about attending family gatherings. I didn't recognize the brunette.

I squinted at the photo and realized that it had either been cropped or taken only to include the girls. There was a hand on the brunette's shoulder, although the edge of the photo cut off the person to whom it belonged. The hand was big and I could just see a large ring on the index finger. A large, gold ring with a very distinct "V" in the middle.

Definitely a Volturi function, then.

Was the girl anothermistress or a Volturi family member with whom I wasn't familiar? I flipped the photo over.

_Charlotte & Isabella  
__Christmas '08_

Isabella.

Given Charlotte's current situation, I was immediately worried about Isabella.

I pocketed the photo of the girls. After a moment of thought, I took the one of Peter and Charlotte, as well. It wouldn't do if someone saw it – detective / witness relationships were generally not well received – and he might not have a copy of his own. I did a quick sweep of the rest of the room but didn't find anything else of interest.

I heard our reinforcements storming the house as I made my way through the other rooms. I looked for something, anything, that would link us back to whomever had done this. I searched for any way to make up for what I had done, what I had cost us – what I had cost Peter. There was nothing. No sign of forced entry, no sign of other visitors, just... nothing.

"Whitlock!"

I dropped my sweep and made my way toward Peter's voice. He was in the kitchen, stoically supervising the examination of Charlotte's body. I wanted to tell him to go wait in the car or finish the search of the house, but I knew he wouldn't leave her side. He looked at me for a long moment before turning his stare back to the coroner hovering above her head. For the first time in years, I couldn't read my partner's eyes and an uneasy tightness gripped my chest.

I wondered how long it would take him to come back from this.

~ * ~

With our only Volturi witness compromised, our case against the family was put on the backburner. Our lieutenant was concerned that Charlotte's recorded and sworn testimonies wouldn't be enough to prosecute. Without a living eyewitness feeding us information, basically, we were fucked.

I showed Peter the photograph of the two girls. He didn't recognize the brunette and said Charlotte hadn't spoken about anyone named Isabella. She had apparently been very tight-lipped about "family business" when she was with Peter and he was off the clock, something we could understand. Peter represented a fresh start for her. She wouldn't want to taint it with the sins in her past. And if Isabella was a good friend, Charlotte might not want to drag her into official testimony.

I sat at my desk the Wednesday after Charlotte's death, studying the photo. I hadn't been able to determine anything else about the location. I'd even had one of the forensic nerds give it a once over, but he hadn't turned up anything in the five minutes I was willing to part with the print. I'd propped the photo against the bottom of my monitor so I could study it in the moments my eyes weren't focused on the busywork I had to fill out for another case. Peter was usually in charge of our paperwork, but he'd been unsurprisingly withdrawn since the funeral and I wasn't pushing it.

Isabella.

I was concerned that if she and Charlotte had been close, they might go after her next. Had Charlotte told Isabella what she had done? Did she know about Peter? Or had she kept her two lives separate? For the photo to be next to her bed, this Isabella had to be someone special to Charlotte. Would she be willing to talk, as Charlotte had done? Or would she now be too afraid after what had happened to her friend? I wouldn't blame her if she was.

I tried to focus on the case report, which was due at noon, but the large eyes in the photo kept drawing me back to them. Both her brown eyes and hair shimmered in the light at the event. Her smile was warm and wide. Whatever she was to the Volturis, she had been enjoying herself. But then again, Charlotte looked happy as well, and it had only been a few months after the photograph was taken that she had slipped through the front door of our stationhouse and silently cried through an interview.

Finally giving up on the report, I pushed away the keyboard and picked up the photo. I had made half-a-dozen quiet phone calls in the past few days, trying to turn up her identity and location. No one seemed to know who she was. It could be that she was new to the family and this had been her first party. Or maybe was already old news, cast aside. If that were the case... would that make her more or less of a target for the men who had taken out Carlson and Charlotte?

I had one more contact to try and no one was getting any younger.

The phone rang twice before someone picked up.

"Eli, it's Jasper Whitlock."

"_Detective Whitlock, to what do I owe this pleasure?"_

"I'm looking for a girl, possibly involved with Aro or Marcus Volturi...." I clicked on a file on my desktop and pulled up Charlotte's stats. Based on the photograph, they were of similar stature. "Probably 5'3 or 5'4, 120 lbs, long brown hair, brown eyes. We think she ran with Caius' girlfriend_. _Isabella, no last name."

"_Ah, poor Charlotte. Isabella...."_ He was quiet for a moment and I waited. _"I think you might be looking for Isabella Swan, Marcus' girl. She's new. I don't have much information."_

I quickly jotted down what little information Eli had before he reminded me that I now owed him. I hung up and leaned back in my chair to think.

Isabella Swan.

Marcus Volturi.

How had a pretty, innocent-looking girl like her gotten mixed up with a guy like him, a family like that? While Caius was known to be the most ruthless of the brothers, something I worried would translate into Isabella's death, Marcus was more mysterious. Rarely seen in public, rarely known to speak, very little was known about his involvement with the family business. He had lost his wife a few years ago in what was thought to be a hit gone bad. Was Isabella to be the next Mrs. Marcus Volturi?

I found that idea did not sit well with me at all.

~ * ~

Wednesday night, I couldn't sleep. I had told Peter what I'd learned from Eli and he quietly noted that he hoped she was happy with the Volturis and stayed far away from us.

The dull ache that had settled into my body since Charlotte's death throbbed at the dead look in Peter's eyes. I been encouraging him to take some time off, even if he lied to the lieutenant about why he needed it, but he refused and I knew he would keep refusing. It was likely for the best. With no one at home to distract him, and virtually no family to visit, it was probably better for Peter if he were at work. I would just have to keep my eye on him and make sure the disconcerting quiet that had settled around him didn't eat away until there was nothing left.

I finally grew sick of staring at the dark ceiling and climbed out of bed. I grabbed the photo from my bedside table before making my way to the couch. By the dull glow from the television, I studied Isabella Swan's face. Could she be content with Marcus Volturi? Was she in danger, too?

The one potentially useful piece of information I had received from Eli was that she used to work part-time at a bar downtown. He had it listed as her last known employment but had no idea if she still worked there. Apparently, she had been sucked into Marcus' web of silence.

I was familiar with the bar; it would take me only twenty minutes to get there. But what would I do if she were there? Introduce myself as the shit who got Charlotte killed? Grill her about her involvement with the Volturi family? Ask her if she knew what she was doing with her life, if she knew she was ruining it?

Maybe she was happy, like Peter said. Maybe she was better left alone.

As I pulled on a pair of jeans, I told myself that if Isabella was my daughter or sister or friend, I would want someone like me watching out for her.

I told myself that but it didn't lessen the guilt.

~ * ~

Thirty minutes later, I was sitting on a stool at the bar. I ordered a beer although I went on shift at noon and I never slept well after drinking, no matter how tired I was.

I tried not to be obvious as I looked around the bar, seeking the girl with the long brown hair. She was nowhere to be seen. I went through two beers waiting for her to appear but knowing my luck would never be good enough to find her on the first try.

At 3:30, as the bartenders were preparing for last call, I took the photo out of my pocket and slid it carefully toward the bartender in front of me. I pointed to Isabella.

"You know her?"

He looked at it a moment and then looked at me. He scanned me slowly and I saw a familiar look in his eyes. It was a cop's look, a reading-the-suspect look, a what-the-fuck-is-this-guy-up-to look. I'd heard a lot about bartenders making good psychologists and had seen it in practice enough to know it was true. This big fuck looked like he'd seen a lot.

He shook his head and pushed the photo back to me without a word. I had the distinct feeling I'd failed whatever test he'd just given me and I struggled to bite back a yell and keep my hands flat on the bar. I'd dealt with enough people – good and bad – to know this guy was lying. I also knew that you rarely got anywhere in this world by losing your temper, even if it felt good at the time.

I nodded and picked up the photo, giving Isabella another look before sliding it back into my pocket. He knew her somehow, even if he wasn't admitting it. I'd learn what I could about him tomorrow, and maybe that information would lead me to her.

I finished my beer in two quick gulps and dropped a few extra dollars worth of tip on the bar as I stood to go.

"Hey." I looked up from my wallet to see the bartender parked in front of me, a wet dishtowel gripped in his massive fist. "We have a pretty good happy hour special on Thursdays. Draught imports for $2."

"Yeah, sure, man. Thanks." I started to leave, not wanting to press my luck after he'd dropped this gift in my lap, but turned back before I'd made it a couple of feet. "Maybe I'll see you here...."

"Emmett," he said. His hands were occupied wiping down a glass and he didn't extend one.

I shoved my own hands in my pockets. "Emmett," I repeated. "Jasper. See you around."

I left, then, but not before I caught Emmett giving me another appraising look.

~ * ~

The following day, tired and wired, I told the lieutenant I had some things to take care of and had to drop shift early. Peter and I had clocked more than our fair share of overtime in the last couple of months and she merely waved me on. I told Peter where I was headed, hoping he'd want to join me, but he held up our current case file and begged off.

Emmett was behind the bar when I arrived and I parked myself on the same stool I'd occupied only fourteen hours earlier. He had a beer in front of me before I could open my mouth.

I refrained from scanning the room as I had done previously. There was a mirror lining the back of the bar, behind the liquor, via which I could see a small sliver of the large space behind me. I kept my eyes trained on that and figured she'd have to walk through my line of vision at some point, if she was working. If.

I still wasn't sure what I would do if I saw her. I was uncomfortable with how unsure I was with the whole situation. My usual MO was to have everything planned, step-by-step, laid out so as to avoid mistakes. I could handle something unexpected as long as there was a larger plan governing the situation, but since the moment of Charlotte's death, I had been off. I couldn't line myself back up with my plan because the plan no longer existed. I couldn't forget that it was a deviation in a standard plan that ultimately led to Charlotte's death, but I couldn't seem to find a way to snap back to whatever path I was supposed to be walking.

I kept my eyes trained on the mirror while I drank my beer and focused part of my brain on figuring out what I would do if I saw her.

Unfortunately, time ran out before I could make any real progress.

I caught her in my periphery first. She was walking through swinging wooden doors that opened onto what looked like a dark way hallway, which presumably led to the kitchen. She had a large tray of plates and baskets balanced on one arm.

The long brown hair, which had been styled and curled in the photograph, was pulled away from her face without care. She wore a simple waitress' outfit – white t-shirt, black jeans, green apron.

I was drawn to her immediately and knew I would have noticed her even if I hadn't been searching every face I passed, for a week, looking for her.

What stood out to me most as she passed by, and I subtly turned my head to follow her, was the look on her face. She didn't seem like the sort of girl who had many worries, but her face was drawn. I could see dark circles under her wide eyes, tight creases at the corners of her mouth. She was surrounded by a cloud of nearly palpable exhaustion and my own peaked as she walked past and I was caught in her wake.

I felt myself start to stand but was stopped by a pressure on my arm. I turned to find Emmett holding my arm to the bar, slowly shaking his head. There was a warning in his eyes.

I sat down abruptly. Was she being watched? Did they know I was a cop? I was suddenly aware that my mere presence was dangerous to Isabella. My guilt flared up and my path seemed even less sure.

"I should go," I muttered, reaching for my wallet.

"It's on the house. And the restrooms are down that way." Emmett jerked his chin toward the doors through which Isabella had emerged. He picked up my half-full glass, clearly agreeing that I should leave.

I glanced at the swinging doors and back to Emmett, but he had already turned away.

I resisted the urge to look for Isabella as I made my way toward the doors and hallway. If Emmett knew she was being watched, would he have suggested I come back to the bar while she was here? Was it just a suspicion? I wondered if he would talk to me if I got him alone.

The small hallway leading to the bathrooms and kitchen was poorly lit. I stood uncertainly in front of the men's room, wondering if Emmett had truly meant for me to enter. I had one hand on the door to push it open when the swinging doors at the end of the short hall flew inward and Isabella barreled through, empty tray tucked under her arm.

She was muttering to herself but quieted and pulled up short when she saw me.

I stilled, then turned slowly toward her. She cast her eyes down and continued walking. It didn't look as if she was going to look at me while she passed, and just as she reached me, I made a decision.

"Isabella."

Her head whipped up at her name and she stopped again.

This close to her, I could see fear in her eyes and instinctively stepped toward her. She immediately tensed and stepped back, bumping into the wall on the other side of the hall. I pressed my back against the wall next to the restroom door. I would fail before I started if she was too frightened to speak with me.

I held my hands near my sides, trying to calm her, but she didn't look any less wary.

"Isabella. I'm Jasper Whitlock." Her eyes grew a little wider and she glanced down the hall toward the bar. "I-"

"You're Peter's friend," she said quietly.

I was shocked she knew my name, particularly since she wasn't familiar to Peter. She and Charlotte must have been as close as I had guessed. I immediately registered that she hadn't mentioned anything about my job - no "You're that cop" - so I wasn't sure yet what she knew about me or about what Charlotte had done. But her glance down the hall had been telling.

"Yes. I needed to see if you were safe." She would either understand what I meant or not.

Another furtive glance stolen toward the doors confirmed Charlotte had spoken to her.

"How did you know about me?"

"Charlotte had a picture of you." My fingers reached to pull it from my pocket but I halted, wondering if it would be too difficult for her to see Charlotte. "I've been looking for you since... last week." _Since I failed our friends._

She nodded tightly, her eyes scanning my face but never quite meeting my own.

"I would like to talk to you, if I could."

"I don't think that's a good idea," she said quickly. She was practically vibrating with tension and all I wanted to do was wrap my arms around her and calm her down.

"Isabella, we can help you."

"Like you helped Charlotte?" I was expecting it, but the words were still a knife to my psyche. It was surprisingly worse that her tone held no malice or accusation, only candor.

"We made mistakes with Charlotte." _I made mistakes with Charlotte_. "They won't happen again. We can keep you safe." I pushed aside the voice in my head that was taunting me with _You can't promise that_ and _You're lying_.

"No. I need to get back to work." She inched past me, her back still to the wall, and was out of arm's reach before I could react.

What was that physics thing, the observer effect? How merely observing a situation can influence it? My visit alone to this bar could cause trouble for her. We were already here.

I had to do something.

"Wait." I pulled out my wallet and extracted a business card. I hastily jotted my cell number on the back as I slowly approached her, my eyes flickering between the card and her face, making sure she didn't bolt. I didn't want to cause a scene by following her into the kitchen. "Take this. If you change your mind...." I showed her my handwriting on the back and pushed it into her hand.

She barely glanced at the card before stuffing it into a pocket on her apron. She turned to go, but before she retreated all the way into the kitchen, she looked over her shoulder and finally met my eyes.

The tug in my gut was stronger than anything I'd ever felt before. Stronger than any of my "intuitions." The draw to her was so strong that it physically manifested as I moved toward her. I stopped myself before I'd taken two steps.

"I'm sorry about Charlotte," she whispered before slipping through the door and disappearing from sight.

~ * ~

I couldn't get Isabella's words out of my head. For the next week, they echoed through me while I conducted interviews, while I jogged before work, while I tried without success to fall asleep.

As when she had first mentioned Charlotte, I had detected no accusation in her words, no sarcasm. She really had sounded sorry. Sympathetic.

I didn't deserve her sorrow or her sympathy. I deserved her anger and her shouted words. Her blame.

I kept my phone with me constantly. Even in the bathroom, I perched it on the side of the sink, always ready to shut off the shower if I heard it ring. For the week after I first met Isabella, I spent every moment waiting for her to call, hoping that she'd decide to speak to us, come to us for safety.

But those moments shared time with a desire for her to be happy where she was. Maybe mob boss' wife is what she had always wanted to be. If she was married to Marcus Volturi, she wouldn't have to worry about always being hidden in the wings, as Charlotte had. Isabella would be paraded around in public, legally bound to the family, in an infinitely worse position than Charlotte, when it came down to it.

My need for her to seek me out was far greater than my desire for her to be content as she was.

I couldn't get past the look on her face when I'd first seen her. It had been obvious she was troubled. Was she only having a bad day? Maybe she had still been sad about Charlotte. Or maybe there was something deeper....

My intuition sang to me. I had to get her out. Unfortunately, I didn't know if I could trust myself anymore.

I drove by the bar every day, slowly, in my unmarked car. I never saw her.

I considered calling Emmett and asking him to meet me somewhere. I had even gone so far as to look up the number for the bar, and was ready to call, when my phone rang. It had been eight days since I met Isabella.

"Whitlock."

"_Whitlock, Eli. I have more information about your Isabella Swan."_

I tensed. Whatever Eli had, it wouldn't be good. Eli was about balance. I still owed him from last time. For him to reach out voluntarily....

"Go on."

"_I did some digging after we spoke. One of my guys called me Monday to say that she hadn't been seen in two days."_

My breath caught in my throat. Two days. Monday.

"Has she been seen since?"

"_I just talked to him again. She's still MIA. And...."_

"And what?"

He hesitated again.

"Eli."

"_And there's word out that someone flipped and has been... removed. Someone having to do with Marcus. They don't know if it was one of his crew or...."_

_Or if it was Isabella_.

_Fuck._

It was Friday now. If she'd been gone since Saturday.... I grew lightheaded as comprehension dawned that we had probably already lost her.

I realized Eli was speaking again.

"... _hear anything else."_

"Great. Thanks, Eli."

I hung up and tried to think through the headache that was suddenly a vise, crushing my skull.

First things first. I paced while the phone rang.

"_Sweeney's."_

"I'm looking for Emmett."

"_Speaking."_

"Emmett, it's Jasper. We met at the bar last week...."

"_I remember." _His voice picked up a hard edge and there was sudden quiet in the background of the call.

"Have you seen her? When was the last time you saw her?"

"_She...."_

"I can help, man."

"_Yeah. She said you could."_ I was startled. If she thought that, why hadn't she called? _"She worked Saturday night, left after closing, just after 5:00. She was supposed to be back for a shift at 2 p.m., but never showed."_

"She left alone?"

"_Yes."_

"Anyone walk her to her car or make sure she got home safely?"

"_No. We usually have one of the guys follow the girls out and they usually let us know.... But my girlfriend was sick and Bella said not to worry...."_ The guilt in his voice thrummed my own. It was rising to a fever pitch inside me, threatening to take over.

_Bella._

"No answer on her cell?"

"_None. I even stopped by her house and her truck was there but she didn't answer."_

"Give me her address. We'll check it out."

He rattled it off, quietly and quickly, maybe afraid that someone would hear him.

"_Will you call if you find anything? Even if...."_

"Yeah, I will if I can."

We traded cell numbers before disconnecting. I called Peter as I jogged to my car. It was his day off, too, but I knew he wouldn't want me to go in alone.

I picked him up and forty minutes later, we were pulling into a rundown neighborhood.

"There." He pointed to a small cream-colored ranch-style house five doors down. I drove by it slowly and then pulled over two blocks away, not wanting to draw unnecessary attention to her house.

We'd both dressed in sweats so we would appear to belong in the neighborhood if anyone was watching. We took off toward her house at a reasonable gait, scanning for anything that looked out of place.

We reached her house quickly and, with an understanding that only comes after years of working with someone, both broke left to run up her driveway and into her tiny backyard.

Peter made quick work of the flimsy lock on her back door. If anyone had wanted in, it wouldn't have taken much.

A quick search of her house turned up no Isabella. We looked over her bedroom with trained eyes and determined that she hadn't packed a bag.

Open bills sat on her kitchen table, dated days ago. Overripe bananas on the counter were attracting fruit flies. There was no sign of forced entry, no sign that anyone other than she had been in her home recently.

If she'd run, it had been spontaneous.

If she'd been taken, there hadn't been a struggle.

Peter's breath hitched when we came across another framed photo of Charlotte and Isabella. It was different from the one in my pocket. He picked it up and we stared at it for a long moment. They both looked so happy. Carefree. Innocent.

He set it down too hard and knocked over two other framed photos that were nearby.

"There's nothing here. Let's go."

We walked back through the kitchen and I stopped at the table. On the third bill in the stack, an electric bill due yesterday, I jotted a note.

_Please call just to let me know you're okay. – JW_

Hopefully, if – _when_ – she came home, she'd understand. If anyone else came through behind us, they were unlikely to be interested in how much she owed for utilities.

We spent the rest of the day going through our contacts, searching for any hint that she might be out there somewhere. I could help her, but I had to find her first.

~ * ~

I gave up at 2:00 a.m. Peter had long since departed, leaving a kitchen table covered with Chinese food boxes and legal pads.

We'd reexamined Charlotte's thick file and the meager one we had on Marcus Volturi. We'd found mention of the possibility of a third house out in Montauk. We were going to drive out tomorrow afternoon. At this point, I would have driven to Florida if it meant we would be closer to finding her.

I cleaned up our mess from dinner and tied off the trash bag to take it out back.

It was unseasonably cool for a summer night, although the air still held a hint of the humidity that had gripped the city that day.

I dropped the bag in the metal trashcan by the backdoor and was just replacing the lid when I heard a noise to my left. I reflexively tightened my grip on the handle of the lid. My gun was inside but anything could be a weapon under the right circumstances.

I stood still, waiting for the noise to reoccur.

I had just given up when I heard it again.

I waited, not ready to search for the source yet. It was probably just the asshole cat who lived two houses over.

When I heard my name float out of the darkness a moment later, I almost passed out.

I reached inside my backdoor and quickly threw the lights on. The backyard was flooded with light and I could see, standing next to my garage, Isabella Swan.

She looked terrible. She was wearing a dark hoodie and jeans with simple sneakers. I could see smudges on her cheek and tears in her sleeves and along the bottoms of her jeans. She looked like maybe she hadn't slept since I had last seen her.

I stepped toward her wordlessly and prayed to whatever god was still willing to listen to me that she wouldn't flee. I held out my arms and, before I knew it, she had thrown herself at me. I scooped her up and held her to my chest. Her breath was coming in ragged gulps and I held her as tightly as I could, as if that would calm her down.

"Help me." Her voice was barely a whisper in my ear and I crushed her to me even more securely.

"I will, Isabella, I will."

And I would. I would do it right this time. I would keep Isabella safe. I would do it at any cost.

She gripped me forcefully and I could feel in her arms a trust that I didn't yet deserve.

But I would earn it. I would deserve it.

She was my reward.

She was my punishment.

She was my retribution.

* * *

**I had no intention for this to be so long. I was thinking 1500-2000 words. And it's pretty different from my other stuff, which doesn't make me nervous at all... not at all.**

**Legna suggested "Retribution," and then did her super beta thing. LaViePastiche helped me brainstorm; thank her for Copsper. The Twitter girls are awesome for random research. **

**We'll be back to drabbles with the next one. Your positive support for my little bits of goofiness makes me really happy :)**

**Lastly, I am participating in this upcoming weekend's Support Stacie auction (Sept 12 – 14). I'm offering a Jasper-centric one-shot or a FitV outtake (winner chooses the scene). Links to the auction are in my profile. It's for a fantastic cause, so please consider bidding on someone, even if it isn't me :)**


	10. Juvenile

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**  
Prompt: Juvenile  
Pen name: ElleCC  
Pairing: The whole gang  
Rating: T

* * *

_**Juvenile**_

"Quiet, they're going to hear us!"

"We're going to be in so much trouble for this. Esme's going to kick our asses."

"Here they come!"

"Wow, they look so _pretty_."

"Ready?" I whispered. I cocked my arm back and felt two identical movements next to me. "One... two... three!"

We let loose at the same time and watched as three perfectly formed snowballs crashed against three perfectly hard skulls.

All three spun, peering around and shouting indignantly.

"Very funny, love!" Edward called out as he, Emmett, and Jasper shook out their hair while the girls next to me giggled wildly.

* * *

**Who says the boys are the only ones who can have fun?**

**I think Legna probably wants to throw snowballs at me for all of the ridiculous I throw at her.**

**Just another reminder that the Support Stacie Author Auction is this weekend (September 12 - 14). Links are in my profile.**

**And, submissions are due September 27th for the "For the Love of Jasper" one-shot contest I'm hosting with LaViePastiche. We have had an amazing turnout so far and are so excited to see what else we'll get. Write, read, or both! Visit fortheloveofjasper[dot]com for info.**


	11. Platonic

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**  
Prompt: Platonic  
Pen name: ElleCC  
Pairing: Alice  
Rating: T

* * *

_**Platonic**_

"We ran into each other a couple of months ago. We've hung out a few times since then. Just dinner and stuff," he said. His jaw was tight and he was holding his shoulders in that way that he does when he's uncomfortable.

He was lying.

I watched him as he responded to Edward. He was trying to seem relaxed; there was something more going on than what he was telling us.

Bella Swan?

Was this a joke?

She couldn't even deal with Edward, who was easy. She'd never be able to handle Jasper.

Who did she think she was?

* * *

**Ah, sweet Alice. This is from the birthday cruise in FitV, between chapters 6 and 7.**

**Legna is the most wonderful everything.**

**The Support Stacie Auction is up and running! It's all kinds of fun and excitement – come join us! There's a FitV outtake or Jasper story on the line (winner picks the scene/prompt).**


	12. Raindrops

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**  
Prompt: Raindrops  
Pen name: ElleCC  
Pairing: Jasper / Bella  
Rating: T

* * *

_**Raindrops**_

We were halfway through our run when it began to rain. Bella started to speed up but I pulled her to me.

"Let me go! We're getting wet!" She turned in my arms but didn't try to pull away.

"Do you remember when we first met? For the second time?"

She laughed. "You were drenched and dripped all over my front hall."

"You were surprised and gorgeous."

She smiled up at me and the world tilted, as always.

My fingers found her skin and my lips, her mouth. My heart had found hers long ago, on a different rain-soaked night.

* * *

**Are we sick of FitV yet? **

**Legna and I are still waiting for a rained-on Jasper to show up on our doorstep during a thunderstorm.**

**The Support Stacie Auction was this past weekend and JAustenlover picked up my auction for an _utterly ridiculous_ amount. JA's jonesing for some FitV proposal action from Jasper's POV, so look for that coming up before too long, possibly as a chapter of Embers. Thanks to everyone who participated in the auction, whether from the author or bidder side of things. The Twifandom was amazingly generous and the entire auction, across all of the fandoms, raised over _$35,000_ for Stacie. My heart, it weeps happy tears.**


	13. Crusade

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**  
Prompt: Crusade  
Pen name: ElleCC  
Pairing: Emmett, Jasper / Bella  
Rating: Somewhere between T and M

* * *

_**In Which There Is a Crusade**_

I loved my brother-in-law like a brother. Fuck, long before I married his sister, I'd considered him family. It hadn't taken a signed piece of paper for me to be willing to lay my life on the line for the guy. I'd been willing to do that practically since I met him, when I could tell he didn't have a lot of people on his side. That included his sister, which had always baffled the shit out of me since I was close with my own brother and sister, even though they were frequently exceptional pains in my ass.

But Jasper was different, and Rosie was different, and together, they just didn't have that brother and sister thing going on. It had been better the past few years, particularly since their mom got sick, but they'd still never win any awards for Siblings of the Year. So, I always stepped in when I could, and tried to give Jasper the best support possible. Admittedly, over the years, I'd come up short far too many times. Hopefully, I would be able to make up for some of that today.

I paused on their front step, nervous. I was never nervous and it was making me really fucking uncomfortable. This could go a few different ways and only one of them was good.

I almost wished I'd brought Rosie with me so she could distract Bella, maybe take her out for lunch. Ultimately, I knew that wouldn't have worked. If I was right, part of the problem was that he just wasn't talking to her – probably because he felt bad about bothering her, if I knew him at all. That shit had to stop. He'd been doing well for too long to risk it. Especially now.

I must have taken a short journey to Lalaland because Bella was suddenly standing in front of me and I hadn't even heard the door open.

"Em? What are you doing out here?"

I bent down and picked up my little sister-in-law as gently as I could. Her already-enormous stomach pressed against me and I squeezed her carefully once before setting her back on her feet.

"You're looking good, B." I tugged her messy ponytail and walked past her into the front hall.

She laughed and it was a nice sound to hear because, honestly, she didn't look all that great. Rosie'd been pretty lucky that both of her pregnancies had been easy on her. She'd been sick a few times with Carter, early on, and tired a lot with Emma, but that was it. Poor Bella had barely been able to move for the first three months and even now, five months in, she still looked too pale and too tired. Jasper had talked about it a bit yesterday, said she was feeling better and the doctor said there was nothing to be concerned about, but I knew he was more worried than he was saying. I figured that was part of the problem.

"Thanks, Em. I know I look like hell. No need to bullshit."

"What? And get the Mini Brigade pissed at me before they're even out?" I gestured at her stomach and she smiled again, her hand moving up to rub her middle.

"Please don't piss them off anymore than they already are. They better be cute." She shook her head and kept rubbing her stomach. "To what do we owe this visit?"

"J around?" My nerves had vanished for a minute, but they came back full-force as I looked around for Jasper.

"Yeah, he's somewhere." She gestured with her head and I followed her down the hall toward the living room. Before she'd even called out for him, I could hear Jasper's footsteps and he appeared from the basement, carrying paper towels.

He looked startled to see me but not displeased. "Hey, man, what's up? I didn't know you were stopping by." He looked at Bella and she shrugged.

I took a deep breath. Might as well just get into it. "Yeah, sorry about that. I was wondering if I could talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure. Everything okay?" He handed the paper towels to Bella, who started to walk away.

"I'll leave you two alone," she said over her shoulder.

"No, uh, you, too, B. If you have a sec."

She stopped and her expression became worried. "What's wrong, Emmett? Are Rose and the kids okay?"

"Yeah, they're all fine." I tugged the bottom of my shirt, anxious to get rid of the nervous energy that was crackling through me. "Can we sit down?"

Bella put the paper towels on a table in the hall and led us into the living room.

I waited until Bella was seated on the couch, propped up against a pillow Jasper arranged for her, before sitting in an armchair across from her. I didn't miss that Jasper sat on the opposite end of the couch from B and that he wasn't even touching her. He was _always_ fucking touching her. I'd been making fun of him for years about his almost constant need to have his hand on her back or her leg or whatever he could reach. It was like it calmed him down and kept him centered. Things were probably a lot fucking worse than I'd realized if he wasn't even doing that. Although, maybe B had asked him to stop. I couldn't picture it, but Rosie had done some pretty non-Rosie things when she'd been pregnant.

I mentally sighed and hoped I wasn't stepping into the middle of something beyond me. Worse, somewhere where I wouldn't be welcome.

"What's up? You're kinda scaring the shit out of me." Jasper leaned forward, watching me intently.

I looked at him for a long minute. He hadn't shaved today. His hair was a little too long. He was even paler than Bella, although it was summer. I knew I was right about this and just hoped it hadn't progressed past a place where we could easily fix it.

"No, it's nothing to be.... It's just.... Fuck."

"Emmett, please?" Bella spoke quietly. She'd curved both arms around her belly, almost protectively. It was that simple gesture, one of defense and love, which spurred me on.

I angled myself a little bit toward Jasper and leaned forward with my elbows on my knees, mirroring his posture. "Yesterday at lunch, J, I got the feeling that maybe there was some stuff you wanted to talk about but weren't saying."

We'd made it a habit to have lunch together a couple times a month. With work and the kids hogging up my time, and Jasper and Bella spending a lot of time at home lately, we didn't get to see each other much outside of mom's family dinners, which were always a frickin' spectacle. Our lunches were our attempt for some peace and guy-time without munchkins and wives and family trying to distract us with play date schedules and shit like that.

He leaned back, eyebrows going up a little. "What are you talking about?"

"You seemed kind of quiet... tense... distracted, maybe. Like you had a lot on your mind." I was trying to play it cool, hoping he'd get what I was saying without me saying it. "I thought about it and realized you'd been that way last weekend at dinner, too." I was watching to see if he was going to tense up, hoping he didn't explode at me. I didn't want to upset Bella too badly, although I knew it was inevitable, to some degree.

He rubbed his jaw with the back of his hand and looked around the room for a minute before returning his attention to me. "Just some tough cases at work, that's all. It's been pretty stressful."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Bella sit up a bit straighter. When I glanced at her, she was staring intently at Jasper, eyes wide.

"You said work's been good lately." I didn't miss the hardness that suddenly edged her tone. "No problems, easy clients, happy kids."

"Yeah, that's true," he said, not looking at either of us. "Mostly."

"Mostly? What does that mean?"

He looked at her silently, just shaking his head.

"Jasper, what aren't you telling me?"

He blinked slowly, eyes still on her. I knew he was worried about disappointing her. The last few years, he'd been as open as I'd ever seen him, but it had to be hard on him to admit that he needed help. That was never an easy thing for any guy to do. I'd thought about it a lot – what I'd do if I were in his position – and sometimes I didn't know if I'd behave any differently than he had.

"Man, you know you can talk to us about anything."

"Yeah, I know. It's just.... This shit is really hard, you know?" He leaned forward again and covered his face with his hands. His shoulders slumped and I knew he'd given in already. When he continued, his voice was muffled but understandable. "I mean, how the hell am I supposed to be able to do this? Some days I feel like I can barely take care of myself, let alone you, Bella, and now there are going to be two more? _Two_ more? Totally helpless and reliant... and fuck. What if there's something wrong with them? What if they end up like me? And you've been so sick. I know Dr. Hughes said you were going to be fine, but what if something happened to you? What the hell would I do then? Ugh, I just couldn't.... I just can't...." He broke off, sighing heavily, and I could practically feel the desperation seeping out of his words.

"Oh, babe," Bella whispered. She looked at me and I could see the helplessness on her face. She crawled the short distance to him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders as best she could. He leaned into her, still covering his face, and I was relieved that he didn't pull away. "I'm not going anywhere. After all the shit we've been through, you think I could go anywhere now? We've survived a hell of a lot worse than this." She was running her fingers through his hair and a sudden intimacy surrounded them. I began to feel as if I were intruding. "Why didn't you say anything? How many times have we talked about this?"

"I know, I just didn't want to b-" He broke off when Bella unexpectedly pulled away from him and he almost tipped over.

"Jasper Whitlock Hale, if you fucking say you didn't want to bother me, so help me god, Emmett will be taking your ass home with him right now and good luck withstanding whatever shit Rosalie rains down on you then."

Jasper's expression was a comic mix of confusion and surprise and it was all I could do not to laugh. I was happy that seven years with the jackass hadn't curbed any of her fire. If anything, she was feistier now than she had been when they'd first gotten together.

"Yes, ma'am," he muttered, and I thought I saw his hand twitch. I wondered if he had restrained a salute and part of the laugh I'd been holding back escaped.

They both looked up at me, startled.

"Well," I said, standing, trying to rein myself in. "That's all I had. I'll go so you guys can talk."

Bella scrambled off the couch, presumably to hug me, and almost landed on her face when her feet got tangled up between the cushions. Jasper caught her before she could topple over, and after a moment of total silence, save for Bella's rapid breathing, we all started laughing.

"Your balance, I had no idea-" Jasper started.

"-it could get even worse!" she finished. They both laughed and I felt better than I had since I saw Jasper yesterday.

I walked toward the hall and Bella finally caught up for a hug.

"Thanks, Em," she murmured, her arms squeezing my waist.

"You bet, sis. Anything for you two."

Jasper didn't say anything as he embraced me, but I could sense his gratitude. He stepped back and picked up Bella's hand as I reached for the door latch.

At the bottom of the front steps, I turned back. "See you guys at dinner tomorrow night?"

"Yeah. Is Rose bringing that marshmallow stuff?" Bella asked. When I nodded, she smiled. I'd have to remember to tell Rosie to make enough for them to bring some back home with them.

I waved as I backed out of the driveway. They were still framed by the door, Bella in front of Jasper, his arms around her and the future tiny tornados I knew she'd produce. Anyone half Hale and half Swan was bound to give this world a run for its money. And two of them? God help us all.

Just as I was throwing the Jeep into drive, I paused for a moment. Even from a distance, I could read the expression on Jasper's face. It was relief, loud and clear. They had more to talk about, and J would definitely have to discuss this all with his doctor, but when I saw how much better he looked already, I knew they'd be okay.

I hadn't been exaggerating when I told Bella I'd do anything for them. Whether it was a shove they needed, or just a nudge, as today, I'd always be around for it. That's what brothers were for.

* * *

**FitV Emmett finally has a chance to speak. I hope that I've done him justice.**

**Legna suggested the prompt and topic and then fixed my hideous homonym issues. As americnxidiot once said, "homonyms are little assholes." I couldn't agree more.**

**Just nine days left to submit entries for the "For the Love of Jasper" contest I'm co-hosting with LaViePastiche. We've already had almost 70 entries; we're beyond amazed at the turnout. If you haven't written anything yet, there's still plenty of time! If you haven't started reading, what better to do with your Saturday night? Currently, voting is slated to run from October 5 – October 18. You have until September 27, 11:59 PM EDT, to submit your entry. We can't wait to read it!**


	14. Erosion

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**  
Prompt: Erosion  
Pen name: ElleCC  
Pairing: Jasper  
Rating: K

* * *

_**Erosion**_

I was tired.

Tired of trying. Of being on edge. Of trying to cope with the ebb-less tide of emotions that threatened to drown me.

Tired of being treated like a child, being listened to and watched. Even coddled, like a pet.

Tired of being forced to be something other than who I was. Or _what_ I was.

As if she knew, as if the mythical tie between sire and sired were real, she arrived.

Dark hair, dark eyes.

Dark emotions.

Dark life.

_My_ life.

She knew what I needed. Wanted.

The waves of pain faded rapidly in our wake.

* * *

**A little AU fun for you on this Sunday evening.**

**So, the "For the Love of Jasper" submission period is almost over. As of right now, Open Voting starts next week. However, because we received so many entries (we've validated 108 as of right this moment), we're going to need to change our original voting strategy a bit. Subscribe to the "For the Love of Jasper" story in my profile for info when we decide how we're going to proceed. And before that, go and start to read all of the amazing entries we've received. They're all in the "For the Love of Jasper Contest" C2 – link in my profile.**

**Thanks for reading!**


	15. Sour

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**  
Prompt: Sour  
Pen name: ElleCC  
Pairing: SoaPM Jasper  
Rating: M

* * *

**Consider this SoaPM AU, Elle-style. Written and posted with approval from LaViePastiche. Special thanks to nerac and RedVelvetHeaven for egging me on. This is just the tip of the iceberg....**

**Update 10/10/09: This drabble has been continued as a one-shot titled "The Book of Peter."**

* * *

_**Sour**_

Two hours after throwing my bag in the back of Pearl, I was still aimlessly driving the streets. It had probably been a big fucking mistake to walk out like that, and I felt marginally bad about leaving Rosalie to the wolves, but there was no way I was enduring one more fucking second of that wreck that tried to pass as a family. I was sure I'd regret it, but for now, I was just happy - or whatever the fuck I was - to be out of that house.

If I was toxic, I'd learned it at home.

* * *

**Legna has not seen this and I am positive she is sitting there right now thinking, "What the hell is this fuckery?" I heart you, bb. I'm sorry I'm completely crazy. Please don't divorce me.**

**AHelm has a nice SoaPM-inspired drabble as well – Chapter 19 (Vivid) of her fic, "Fifty Cents: The Twilight 25, Fall 2009."**

**And if you haven't read "Son of a Preacher Man," by LaViePastiche, make haste and do so. (And then go vote in the first round of the For the Love of Jasper contest!)**


	16. Walls

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**  
Prompt: Walls  
Pen name: ElleCC  
Pairing: --  
Rating: T

* * *

_**Walls**_

"Shit."

The single expletive is loud in the still elevator. I tighten my hold on the railing I grabbed to keep from stumbling, surprised by the sound. As the elevator had come to a jarring halt, I had almost forgotten that I wasn't alone until the voice reminded me that someone had already been on his way up to the fourth floor of the office building before I boarded the elevator. The lights flicker for a moment but remain on.

"I don't have time for this," my elevator partner mutters. As the seconds tick by and my heart rate slows, I surreptitiously study the other man. I hadn't bothered to look at him as I had entered. If I had, I probably would have waited for another elevator and wouldn't be in this mess.

He is a few inches taller than I am and quite a bit thinner. His attire is sloppy: a black short-sleeved t-shirt over a long-sleeved one, torn jeans with scuffed cowboy boots showing below the cuff. The front of his t-shirt displays the faded name of a band with which I'm not familiar; two guitar necks are crossed, and the form of a mostly naked woman stands in front of them. His blond hair is long and untidy. He's staring at a cell phone in his hands and I notice that his neck and arm – what shows above his collar and below his pushed-up sleeve – are covered with scars. I avert my gaze quickly, but it looks like not much of his skin is left unmarred.

I hope he isn't just coming from work; I wouldn't be very impressed with a company that would allow someone to dress that way. But it is 2:45 on a Wednesday afternoon, so it is possible he might not work at all.

He taps out what I guess is a text message before he snaps his phone shut and looks up at me. "I'm going to call the emergency number, see what's going on. Okay?" He jerks his chin toward the red _In case of emergency_ sign below the _Open Door _and _Close Door_ buttons. The intensity in his eyes is startling and I unconsciously step back before I realize I am already flush against the wall of the elevator.

"Oh, yes, of course." I nod, trying to keep the sudden spike in my nerves from translating to furious head-bobbing: a habit that my wife says is a dead giveaway that I'm nervous.

The little silver door built into the elevator wall opens easily and he removes the red phone. I wonder how old the elevator is – some of the others I've seen, like the one in my office building, have speakers built into the wall – and I hope that this little delay isn't a result of an elevator that is failing because of age.

I'm barely aware when he starts speaking again because I can't stop staring at the forearm that is lifted to hold the phone to his ear. One particular scar is long and twisting; it runs down his skin and up the back of his hand, bisecting what I can see of his middle finger. He flexes his hand as he adjusts his hold on the phone and the scar undulates like a snake's tongue. I shudder before I can help it and hope he hasn't seen.

I tune in to what he is saying just as he speaks the name of the building, address, and elevator number. He reads them from a small plaque on the elevator wall and is quiet for a moment. He turns to me as soon as he hangs up. "Apparently, it's a power problem with the elevator. They received an alert as soon as it went out and the building engineers are already looking into it. She wasn't sure how long it would take." He drags his hand through his hair and looks frustrated. "This is really fucking inconvenient. I was already running late."

_Late_. I'm supposed to be somewhere at 3:00. I pull out my phone and look at it. It's 2:50 and if they don't hurry up, I'll miss my meeting.

Scar Guy's foot is bouncing and he keeps glancing at his phone. His restless behavior is unnerving and reminds me of an episode of _Law & Order_ that my wife made me watch. The detectives picked up a drug addict and the longer they held him in lock-up, the more jittery he became. My brain starts to swirl with possibilities as it occurs to me that Scar Guy might be an addict. I have heard rumors that the son of the Senior Partner of the law firm I use – which I am on my way to visit – has a drug issue. Could it be possible that Scar Guy is going to meet his dealer? Is that what he's late for? Is that who he texted? I try to remember what other types of offices share the fourth floor with the law firm but I come up blank. Sweat breaks out under my arms and on my back.

I manage to dial the number of Bennett & Brown so I can let them know I'll be late, and it takes about fifteen seconds of silence before I realize that my call isn't going through. I look at the front of my phone and there is a little X where there are usually bars indicating signal strength. I sigh and shove the phone back into my pocket. Scar Guy's eyes meet mine. "You want to use mine?" He extends his cell phone toward me. "I seem to have service."

I hate being late, particularly with no explanation to anyone, but I'm hesitant to accept his phone. "No, thank you, though."

"Okay, well, let me know if you change your mind." He mutters something else I don't hear and looks at his phone again.

The elevator is on the smaller side, definitely not meant for freight or more than ten passengers, if that. If possible, it feels even smaller than it did a few minutes ago, and it's getting warmer. I tug on my tie to lessen the restriction around my neck and really wish that I had water or coffee with me – anything to keep my throat from feeling so dry.

Scar Guy is becoming more anxious. He's leaning against the elevator wall, his foot almost a blur as it moves on the dark carpet. His hand is nearly attached to the top of his head, running back and forth through his hair as he continues to stare at his phone. Do dealers stand you up if you're late? I focus on breathing calmly and not thinking about how tiny the elevator feels.

Several minutes later, my shirt is plastered to my back and Scar Guy is staring at me.

"Are you okay, man? You're not looking so good."

I clear my throat and nod, tugging at my shirt collar. I can see sweat beading along his forehead. I have only a passing familiarity with withdrawal symptoms and my stomach is queasy at the thought. "Yes, I'm fine."

The end of my words is clipped as the elevator hums to life around us. The car jerks again but I am already clutching the railing and feel nothing but relief as the elevator starts to move.

We ascend for no more than ten seconds and half a floor before the car stops again. I hold my breath, waiting for something to go wrong, and am relieved when the elevator doors slide open instead.

Scar Guy is out the door ahead of me, scanning the hallway. I exit behind him but take my time. The last thing I want is to be caught in the middle of some drug deal.

I feel my eyes widen as I see a pretty woman with long, dark hair exit an office near the end of the hall and move toward Scar Guy. He bends to hug her and is careful of her protruding stomach. They have stopped just before the door to the Bennett & Brown office and I can't help but overhear them as I approach.

"Sweetheart, I'm so sorry I missed the appointment. The fucking elevator… never mind. Did you find out?"

I watch the woman's face out of the corner of my eye. She's glowing, a smile stretched wide below her bright eyes. "It's a boy, baby. A _boy!_"

I turn away as Scar Guy sighs and hugs her again, feeling my face grow hot as I murmur a quick, "Congratulations," and open the glass door, hoping I'm not too late for my meeting.

* * *

**So, yeah, I know that was weird. I originally wrote it for a writing class assignment a couple of weeks ago. The topic was subjective and unreliable narrator.**

**Thanks to Legna for her… **_**everything.**_** And to LaViePastiche for pre-reading when it was Tattoo Guy instead of Scar Guy.**

**Checked out our For the Love of Jasper winners and honorable mentions? www(dot)fortheloveofjasper(dot)com.**


	17. Plea

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**  
Prompt: Plea  
Pen name: ElleCC  
Pairing: Jasper, Edward / Bella  
Rating: K

* * *

_**Plea**_

I stop in the doorway. Edward is the only one in the room.

"_She's in pain."_

His head turns and he meets my gaze.

"How? We administered morphine with the venom."

_Guilt, anguish, sadness, disappointment, desperation._ He's a barely readable tangle.

"_I'm not sure."_ For all of the changes I've witnessed, these circumstances are unique.

I wait.

_Helplessness, impatience, love._

"May I help?" The words, although quiet, fill the still room.

_Frustration, resignation._

He nods. "Please."

"_You may not want to listen."_

Another nod.

_Fear._

I grip her bare arm. Physical agony rears up but I force it down.

_Hope._

* * *

**More AU fun!**

**Lots of thanks and spiked hot cocoa to Legna :)**


	18. Jealousy

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**  
Prompt: Jealousy  
Pen name: ElleCC  
Pairing: Peter / Bella / Jasper (PBJ!)  
Rating: M

* * *

**Well... this thing is my nemesis. It is ridiculously long and just... yeah. I kind of went off the rails a bit.**

**LaViePastiche and I posted a collab one-shot earlier this week (What We've Got) and the Jasper and Bella in this are the same Jasper and Bella from that – they're just a bit younger here; so this is a mini-prequel of sorts. Thank you to LVP for letting me take them for a spin on my own, although she was very involved with input and feedback the whole time I was writing.**

**As a note, this has teenagers doing things they're not old enough to read about. **

* * *

_**Jealousy**_

**Fall 1999 **

It wasn't love at first sight with Bella Swan and me. It wasn't even love at second sight or third sight. It was a slow, gradual build.

She and her brother moved to town the summer before I went into high school. Bella was my age and her brother was a senior. She showed up on the first day of classes, not knowing anyone, all bony knees and shy smiles. She was quiet but quickly made friends. In that first year, she ran in different circles than I did, so we never really had a reason to speak to one another. I'd see her at football games because my best friend's brother played on the team with her brother, but we never talked.

But sophomore year, when we ended up in neighboring desks in Trig class, things changed. Neither of us was a math genius, but we both got along well enough that we were frequently done with exercises before everyone else. Over sine, cosine, and passed notes, we got to know each other. We found that our lives as children of a small-town police officer and an Army Colonel held more similarities than we would have guessed. She talked about being the product of a quiet man and a larger-than-life mother and she told me thatshe was more like her father, while her brother, who had taken the school by storm during the one year he'd been there, was a lot like their mom. Bella was funny and sarcastic and her nose wrinkled when she laughed. She obviously cared a great deal about other people and making sure everyone around her was okay. I really looked forward to that one class, every weekday.

It started as a little crush, nothing more than a twinge in my chest when she'd walk by – her long ponytail brushing her back – or a skipped heartbeat if she wasn't already in her seat when I got to class. By the time Christmas rolled around, I'd be anxious all morning until I saw her, and by Valentine's day, the simple thought of her, which had control of my brain twenty-five hours a day, made my head spin and stomach lurch.

Unfortunately, by the time I finally put two and two together and realized I'd fallen for her, she was unavailable. She'd started dating Mike Newton, a nice enough guy, early in the school year. Although he didn't come up very much in our Trig conversations, she seemed happy enough and I didn't want to interfere.

When Kate, a pretty blonde from Spanish, asked me to the Spring Dance, I said yes. I figured at the very least, I would get to see Bella dressed up. That turned out to be a big mistake, as I spent half of the dance holding up a wall, watching her twirl around the dance floor with Newton, whom I suddenly very much wanted to deck. I overheard her laugh to her friends about how clumsy she was, but on that dance floor, she was nothing but grace and beauty.

Pete told me part of the way through the summer that she and Newton had broken up, and I thought about calling her but never did. I admitted to myself that I was probably just being a chickenshit – afraid to risk my friendship with her for what would be possible rejection when I asked her out. I hoped we'd have another class or two together, and didn't want our easy relationship to be tainted with awkwardness. So I kept my feelings to myself. I never even told Peter, who had been my best friend since we'd had the same horrible teacher in first grade. I'd kept my mouth shut, telling myself that if Bella and I were meant to be more than just math buddies, the right time would present itself and I would take advantage of it then. I think, really, I was just being a coward.

Which was why, six weeks into our junior year, I was standing in Pete's basement, lukewarm beer in hand, watching him make out with Bella. I hadn't even known he was interested in her.

His older brother, Collin, who attended a local community college and lived in an apartment, was staying at home for the weekend while their parents were out of town. Pete was a pretty good kid and didn't really need the supervision, but his folks always felt better if Collin was around. When Collin invited some of his friends over, he told Pete he could do the same, as long as things didn't get out of control. Pete invited a few of our teammates from the basketball team and then surprised the shit out of me by asking Bella. For a few minutes, during which I was both relieved that he knew and nervous that he would expect me to say something to her, I thought he was on to my secret.

But five minutes after she arrived with her friends, he had his arm around her and had barely let her go the entire evening.

I still didn't know why I hadn't ever mentioned to him how I felt about Bella. We weren't all girlie and gossipy or shit like that, but he was the closest thing I had to a brother and we usually shared all of the big stuff: first girl I'd thought I loved – Heather Freeman in sixth grade; first blow job – Becky Lawrence freshman year at a birthday party; first lay – Erin Spencer after the homecoming dance sophomore year. Pete had all of those stories, but somehow, the topic of my blinding crush on Bella Swan had never come up.

As I watched his hand inch farther and farther up her leg, I regretted not telling him how I felt. I also really wanted to punch his lights out.

I blew out a frustrated sigh, wondering why he'd never told me he liked her, too. I pushed my beer onto a bookshelf against the back wall of the finished basement and rubbed my eyes. I was pretty sure that if I had to watch them for another minute, I was going to lose it.

"Hey, J, you wanna play again?" Collin extended a cue to me but I waved it off. I'd tried playing pool a little bit ago, but had bowed out after scratching three times in a row.

"Nah. I'm gonna head out, actually." I said good night to a couple of the guys and then made my way toward the couch Peter and Bella occupied. I stopped next to it, trying to keep my eyes off them. I considered leaving without saying anything, but knew Pete would be pissed if he surfaced and I was gone.

"Hey." I cleared my throat. "I'm out. Gonna head home." I stared at the wall over Pete's head.

He managed to detach himself from Bella's face to look up at me. "What are you talking about, man? You're not staying?"

"No. I'm..." I hesitated. _Jealous? Mad? _"Just tired." I stuffed my hands in my pockets and glanced at Bella. She was in Pete's lap, cheeks pink, lips red, and she looked away when I caught her eye. "I'll see you tomorrow or at school."

I tipped my chin at him in goodbye and walked to the stairs. He was speaking to Bella behind me but I didn't stop to listen. I took the stairs to the first floor two at a time and forcefully pushed open the door at the top.

"Hey, J, wait up," Pete called. His feet were loud on the stairs. "Jasper!"

I pulled my keys from my pocket as I navigated between some of Collin's friends. The half of a beer I'd had over two hours wouldn't affect my driving.

"Goddammit, slow down." Pete caught me as I made it through the front door. He gripped my shoulder and moved to stand in front of me. "Jasper, what the fuck?"

"Nothing, man."

"Nothing?" His tone was clearly disbelieving. "Then where the hell are you going? You always stay. If you're tired, just crash upstairs."

I looked at him for a moment without speaking, the image of Bella's pretty face coming to mind. I shook my head to clear it. I didn't really want to lie to Pete – I never had before – but I also didn't feel much like coming clean. If he really liked her, who the hell was I to tell him he couldn't? He'd obviously gotten there first. I sighed and moved to the front edge of the porch to lean against the pillar next to the steps.

We stood in silence for a minute. The air was cool – typical October in Washington – and it felt good after the stifling air in the basement.

"So," I said, finally sick of feeling awkward with Pete. "You and Bella, huh?" I studied the sky as I spoke, half-heartedly looking for Cygnus and Cassiopeia.

Long seconds dragged out between us before Pete broke the silence with a chuckle. "Is that what this is about?"

"What?"

"You like Bella?" I frowned as words much stronger than "like" swirled through my head. He took my silence as affirmation. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"I don't really know."

"She mentions you sometimes."

_Mentions_ _you sometimes_... I was both thrilled and troubled by his choice of words. It sounded like they spoke a lot. But she mentioned _me_.... "Yeah? When do you talk to her?" I turned to face him.

"She's in my Physics class. She's really smart. Always helps me when I need it." I nodded. That was Bella. "Every once in a while she'll laugh about something you said or whatever."

_I made her laugh_. I tried to hold back my grin, but Pete, bastard that he was, saw it even in the dim light and grinned himself.

"Shit, you really _do_ like her." His face slowly fell. "I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I didn't know."

"No big. My fault for not saying anything." I looked up at the sky again. The stars seemed much brighter tonight than usual.

We stopped talking for a few minutes when a couple of the guys from the team exited the house, saying they had to head out.

"You should tell her," Pete said, when we were alone again.

"Tell her?"

"Tell her you like her."

I barked a laugh. "Forget it. She'll just laugh at me. I couldn't take that." The thought of a rebuke from Bella made me want to throw up the lump of beer and chips in my stomach.

"Hey, you never know what she'll say. Maybe she likes y-"

"Are you shitting me? You were the one just all over her. No fucking way."

"Sorry, dude."

I shook my head. "It's fine."

"Will you at least stay?"

I glanced at him warily, wondering if he was planning to continue his Bella-groping. I wasn't remotely interested in being a witness to that. My temper was already flaring at the thought of it. But he held up his hands as if suggesting that wouldn't be happening, so I nodded.

"Great." Pete smiled and punched my shoulder. "Let's go back in."

We walked inside, passing a few more people headed in the other direction, and I went downstairs while Pete stopped in the kitchen to talk to one of the guys from the team. Bella was still on the couch when I hit the bottom step, and I slowly walked over to her. She was fiddling with a thread on her sweatshirt but looked up as I approached.

"Hi! I thought you left?" Without the accompanying facial expression, I would have thought she was unhappy to see me back, but a wide smile graced her face. I wanted to have hope about what Peter had suggested, but I pushed it down. If I got my hopes up and she wasn't interested.... Well. I didn't want to go there.

"Yeah, Pete talked me into it." I gave her a small smile and stood in front of the couch. We chatted for a few minutes, just casual conversation about the school week and homework we had to do tomorrow. I hadn't really said much to her since she'd arrived – she'd been too focused on Peter and I'd been too busy being silently pissy.

"Where's my bro?" Collin came up to us, a couple of his boys trailing behind him.

I shrugged. He still hadn't come back downstairs.

"Here I am. Just saying bye to folks." Pete clomped down the steps, his hands full of sodas. He handed one each to Bella and me and cracked open the top of his.

"We're heading to Kim's. You guys okay here?" Collin asked.

"Yeah, we're good. Just going to watch a movie or something." Pete jerked his thumb at the TV against the wall.

I looked around the basement and realized that everyone was gone but the six of us. The clock on the wall read 11:15. Pretty early for a Saturday night party to end.

"Where are your friends?" I bumped the toe of Bella's shoe to get her attention.

"Oh, they already left. Jessica said something about going to Mike's." She shrugged. "Pete said he'd bring me home?"

Collin looked at the three of us. "No more drinking if you're driving her home." Pete nodded and held up his soda. "All right. I'll probably be pretty late. Try not to burn anything down."

He ruffled my hair – something he'd been doing since I was small because he knew it irritated the shit out of me – and jogged up the stairs with his friends.

"Okay, gang." Pete crouched in front of the stacks of VHS tapes next to the TV. "What do we want?"

We argued for a few minutes and finally settled on Bella's choice, _Heathers_.

"Why do you even have it if you don't like it?" Bella asked Pete as he settled on the couch next to her.

"I think Kim left it here one time." Kim was Collin's on-again, off-again girlfriend. They'd been hooking up almost as long as I could remember. Pete figured one of these days, his brother was just going to break down and ask Kim to marry him.

I dropped into one of the recliners near the couch. It was facing the TV so I wouldn't have to watch Pete and Bella just in case they went at it again. The agitation from earlier in the night was starting to take over; I drummed my fingers restlessly on the arm of the chair. I was seriously starting to wonder why I had agreed to stay. There was no way I could stay in the room with them. My mind started to wander to thoughts of them as a serious couple. I had no idea if I'd be able to deal with that.

"Hey, what are you doing all the way over there?" Bella's voice startled me out of my emo reverie.

"What?" I was in the closest chair to the couch. If Bella wanted me closer, I'd have to-

She patted the couch cushion next to her and my stomach lurched. She was seated in the middle with Pete on her far side. The couch was one of those three-cushion deals. Not huge, but big enough to fit three people with a little room left over. It wasn't like we'd be sitting on top of one another if I joined them.

I hesitated. If she wanted me there, it had to mean she wasn't going to grope Pete all night, right? I was out of my chair and headed toward her before I could give another thought. That alone was as good a reason as any to sit with them – keeping her hands off Pete, and his off her.

Pete fast-forwarded through some crap on the tape and got the movie cued up as I sat down. I pressed myself up against the armrest, not wanting to cramp Bella or make her feel uncomfortable.

"Are there any blankets anywhere?"

"Are you cold?" Pete looked at Bella with some concern as he put down the remote.

"Not right now, but it might get chilly. And it's nice to have a blanket to snuggle under during a movie." She smiled at Pete and then turned her head to look at me shyly. Her hair fell forward, partially blocking her face, and it was all I could do not to reach out and draw my fingers through it. I'd always wondered if it was as soft as it looked.

Pete returned with two blankets. He tossed one to me and shook one out to spread over Bella. She pulled her legs up to sit Indian-style and made sure half of the blanket covered Peter. Turning to me, she picked up the edge of my blanket, which I was just going to drop on the floor. Without saying anything, she unfolded it and gingerly draped part of it over my lap. Her hands pushed the edge of it over my legs and I wondered how much she'd object to me just pulling her into my lap and tying her to me with the blanket. "Just in case," she said quietly. Her cheeks pinked slightly and she leaned quickly back, snuggling into the couch as she pulled the other half of my blanket over her.

"You sure you're not cold?" I said jokingly. I caught Pete grinning and rolling his eyes behind her back as she giggled quietly.

We all got comfortable as Pete started the movie. Three and a half minutes in, it was pretty clear Bella knew the whole thing by heart.

"'What is your _damage_, Heather?'" She affected a snooty tone. "'Don't blame me, blame Heather. She told me to haul your ass into the caf, _pronto_. Back me up, Heather.'"

"You make a cute snobby cheerleader," Pete said, elbowing her in the ribs. My heart stuttered and almost stopped when I saw his hand come to rest somewhere in the vicinity of her knee. Bella giggled and moved her hand so that their pinkies were locked together.

As Bella continued to recite the movie, the air around me grew heavier and heavier. I stared straight ahead as best I could, but out of the very corner of my eye, I could see Pete's fingers moving slowly, making circles on her leg.

I held it in as long as I could, trying to keep thoughts of Bella and Peter out of my head. When I started to shift, getting ready to stand up and leave, Bella turned toward me.

"What's wrong, Jasper?"

"What?" I'd been so busy trying to ignore them that her voice was almost a surprise.

"You seem all tense." Her voice was quiet and she was frowning as she studied my face.

"Nope, just.... Whatever." I leaned against the back of the couch and rubbed the heels of my hands across my eyes. Pete had said to tell her but there was just no fucking way.

I almost jumped over the back of the couch when I felt her hand on my arm seconds later. I slowly opened one eye to peek at her. She was still looking at me pensively, and her fingers were on my arm. She started rubbing softly, and I was mesmerized by the sight and feel of the fabric shifting against my skin, bunching and smoothing as her fingers pushed it back and forth.

"You sure?" She tilted her head as she added a gentle squeeze to my arm.

"Yeah, I'm fine." As long as she was touching me, I sure as hell wasn't going anywhere. I readjusted on the couch, being careful not to pull my arm away from her. I wasn't sure if she would start again if she stopped, and I didn't want the heat from her little hand to go away.

"Okay." She gave me a tentative smile and then turned back to the TV. I continued to watch her hand move on my arm for a minute before glancing up at Pete. He winked at me. His hand's movement on her leg had started to pick up and I noticed that Bella's rubbing of my arm was actually moving at the same speed as Pete's hand.

I suddenly didn't want her touching me if it was only some reaction to Peter touching her. I moved my arm away from her but hadn't anticipated that her fingers would clamp down, which they did. She turned her head enough to look at me and gave me a little frown before looking back at the television. The tips of her fingers were almost digging into my skin and I settled my arm back where it had been so she could reach it without stretching across me. She relaxed slowly, her hand resuming its gentle movement.

I was trying to decide if I was daring enough to slide my left hand over and try to hold her hand when she suddently removed it from my arm and shifted away. Disappointment flooded through me until she turned slightly and leaned back against my arm, her head resting on my shoulder. As she wiggled to get comfortable, I turned a little bit so that her head was resting against the hollow between my chest and shoulder, and slung my arm along the top of the couch.

I looked up at Pete, intending to silently convey my disbelief, and saw that her legs were now stretched out to him. He was holding one of her feet in his lap and had the other hand on her thigh, which was still covered by a blanket. It felt weird that were both touching her, even if it was this platonic, given that he had been touching her much more intimately not very long ago. But she had initiated it, so I tried to go with it.

The top of her head was so close that it didn't take much movement for me to incline my head just the tiniest bit and smell her hair. I inhaled once and then immediately did it again, hoping she couldn't hear me sniffing her. She smelled so... clean and fresh and like summer. I wanted to press my face to her neck so I could smell her skin; I bet it smelled even better than her hair.

"Is this okay?" she asked, pulling me from my sniffing daydream.

"Yes," Pete and I said in unison.

"Good." She wiggled a little bit more in her seat, burrowing further into me. Pete was looking at her and I wished I could see her face to see what kind of expression she was wearing.

We all slowly returned our attention to the television, but my focus was shaky at best. All I could really concentrate on was the feel of the girl pressed up against my side. My arm was still stretched along the back of the couch and I wanted nothing more than to lower it and maybe pick up her hand or wrap it around her shoulders so I could pull her closer to my body.

"Mmm that feels good, Peter." My head whipped around to look at them and I saw that his hands hadn't moved too far, but now his thumb and fingers were kneading her foot and his hand on her leg had crept even higher up her leg. He was getting near dangerous territory.

"Good," he responded simply, his eyes not leaving the TV.

I no longer had any idea what was going on in the movie. Alicia Silverstone could have pranced across the TV screen, maybe dancing naked with Drew Barrymore, and it wouldn't have mattered. All I could hear was Bella's breathing; all I could feel was the rise and fall of her back against the side of my chest; all I could see were Peter's hands on her body.

We made it another few minutes – which felt like hours – before anyone said anything.

"You tired, Bella?" Pete's head was cocked and I again wished I could see her face.

"No, no, I'm good." I could feel her head drooping against me.

I took a deep breath and made a leap before I could talk myself out of it. "Here." I quickly bunched up the blanket that was lying across me. "Lie down." I patted the blanket pile in my lap, hoping it would make a comfortable enough pillow for her. My thighs were pretty hard from all of the laps Couch Burns made us run for basketball – even off-season; hopefully the blanket would be a little more comfortable for her.

"You sure?" She glanced up at me. "I don't want to be a pain."

"You could never be a pain, Bella," I murmured. I was instantaneously embarrassed. I had wanted it to sound sarcastic and joking, but instead it sounded... longing. Fuck. I thought I saw Peter moving, out of the corner of my eye, but refused to look at him.

When Bella smiled one of her huge, glowing smiles, my embarrassment evaporated. Hell, if she didn't care, I was going to try not to care. She scooted her ass down toward Pete. As soon as she got a little way away, she leaned back and put her shoulders on the blanket and her head on the armrest. She did her little wiggle thing again and turned her head just a bit to smile up at me.

"That's perfect, Jasper."

And it was. Bella in my lap, her hair spread around her head, some of it even flowing over my thighs.... She was closer than she'd ever been before. We'd never had any sort of occasion to be alone, or mostly alone, like this before. I placed my right hand tentatively on her shoulder and massaged lightly. She rewarded me with a quiet hum.

"That's nice, too." She closed her eyes, the smile on her face, and I all but forgot that Peter was still in the room with us. Her right hand came up and sort of waved around a bit until it landed on my shoulder. She drew it down as far as it would go and then brushed her fingers back along my arm on her way up.

I figured she'd stop at my shoulder, maybe return her hand to her lap, but she kept going. Past my shoulder, up my neck, and into my hair. Her fingers slid easily through my hair and came to rest on the back of my neck. I could feel her fingertips moving around, maybe spinning a lock of hair. It felt amazing to have her touch me, even in this very simple way.

"Jasper?" When she said my name, I realized my eyes had been closed, as I enjoyed her touch. They snapped open and focused on her face. Her lips were parted and her expression had changed a bit.

"Yeah, Bella?" I was surprised to hear my voice come out almost breathlessly.

"Um." She looked embarrassed. Her eyes quickly flicked down to Peter and then back to me. "Would you...."

I held my breath. Would I what?

"I was wondering if..." she started again. She sucked her bottom lip into her mouth, her teeth scraping over it as she slowly released it.

I heard Peter shift at his end of the couch. I wondered if he was starting to have a problem in his jeans, too. Just the thought of Bella's lips on mine.... I quickly realized how close Bella was to my newly arisen problem and my imagination immediately tripped to thoughts of Bella turning her head more toward me.... Maybe she'd wiggle her head a little bit closer.... And put her hand on my belt and then zipper....

So lost in my daydream as I was, I almost missed the end of Bella's sentence. "Um, I was wondering if you would kiss me?"

I froze, positive that my addled brain had just made up a new daydream about Bella asking me to kiss her. Here in Peter's basement. With her feet in Peter's lap.

I must have taken too long to respond to my brain's mirage, because Bella's next words sounded sad. "Oh, well, never mind."

She started to turn her head away from me but I acted quickly, finally snapping back to myself, and grabbed her chin gently. Before I could change my mind or think about Peter watching us, I bent myself forward and pressed my lips gently to hers.

I held her chin very lightly as I started moving my lips against hers. Her lips were soft and a little slippery. Her skin was so soft and I ran my fingers from jaw up to her cheek, feeling how smooth she was. When I opened my mouth a little bit, her lips continued to move with mine and I decided quickly to just go for it.

Barely brushing her lips as I did it, I gently slipped my tongue into her mouth. She tasted like soda and cinnamon and I hoped she couldn't taste the beer I'd had earlier.

When her tongue brushed against mine, I had to stop myself from crushing her cheek with my hand. I wanted to wrap my body around hers and swallow her whole. I slipped my left hand into her hair and massaged her scalp. Bella breathed into my mouth, a throaty sound that made me very, very aware of how much closer she was to the bulge in my jeans. She only had to move a little bit and she'd be brushing it with the side of her chest. I was kind of embarrassed, but more than that, the thought actually made me harder. I had to resist the natural instinct to thrust my hips toward her. That would certainly not go well and I was positive that if I did that, Peter would....

Peter.

I had practically forgotten the bastard was here.

Reluctantly and slowly, I broke the kiss after lightly dragging my tongue across Bella's once more. I brushed her parted lips, enjoying her taste as she exhaled slowly into my mouth. Wanting to preserve some of the heat between our bodies, I didn't straighten all the way up, but turned my head enough that I could see Peter.

He had changed his position on couch and was facing us instead of the television. One of Bella's feet was still in his lap, but the other one was now next to his hip, her knee bent and pointing up. I felt my forehead furrow as I realized how her legs were spread open before him. Even though she was wearing jeans, it was still a much different position than she'd been in before.

The worst part of it, though, wasn't Bella's spread legs, or even her foot in Pete's lap. It was the location of his hands. They were now _both_ on her legs. One on her knee but the other... the other one was on her inner thigh, well above her knee. When I looked back to her face, her eyes were closed, her mouth opened, and she was arching her head back just the littlest bit on my lap.

Pete's hand was rubbing up her thigh, slowly but surely making its way between her legs. I fought the urge, for the tenth time tonight, to punch him. In any other circumstance in which I had just had my lips on a girl and another guy was touching her legs, I would have. But these weren't just regular circumstances, and the biggest thing holding me back wasn't that Pete and I had been friends for almost a decade, but that Bella seemed to be _enjoying_ it.

She hummed quietly and I almost passed out when I saw her drop her knees open a bit wider for Peter.

He finally tore his eyes from her body and looked up at me. A cocky half-grin and raised eyebrow asked a simple question: _Are you in?_

Bella and I hadn't ever really talked about sex. Even the thought of it – sure to be awkward and uncomfortable as I tried to hide from her how the thoughts of _her _plus _sex _affected me – made my face feel hot. But she had said enough, little hints during our conversations during math that had her spinning her pencil faster and faster, that I was able to figure out that she had slept with Newton while they were dating.

But... even though she had asked me to kiss her, and clearly didn't have a problem with what Pete was currently doing, I had no idea what it meant. Would she just want me to kiss her while Pete touched her? Would she want me to touch her above the waist while Pete touched her below? Neither of those ideas made me very happy. Was she going to panic in about two minutes when she realized what she was doing?

I looked down at her face – her eyes were closed, a small smile still present on her lips. Returning my gaze to Pete, I shrugged and flicked my gaze back to her for just a second. I was in for... whatever... but Bella had to set the pace. Pete seemed to get what I was saying and nodded. If Bella was comfortable with this, then okay. But if she wanted us to stop, we would.

I turned my head and touched my lips gently to hers again. She immediately opened her mouth and I felt her tongue graze the inside of my lips as she searched for mine. As we kissed, I ran my fingers down the side of her jaw to her neck. I slid a finger under the collar of her sweatshirt, feeling the bone that was jutting out there. My fingers kept going, moving over her shoulder and down her arm until they reached the back of her hand. I gently traced lines over her knuckles and fingers, the pace matching the strokes of my tongue against hers.

When she flipped her hand under mine, I slipped my fingers between hers. She quickly tightened her grip, squeezing my much bigger hand. I smiled against her mouth; I couldn't help it. For all of the things I had fantasized about doing to her and with her, the one that crossed my mind the most often, while I watched her spinning her pencil in class, was holding her hand. I wanted to wrap my big fingers around her little ones and just hold her hand under the desk. Yeah, my tongue in her mouth was doing crazy things to my body, but the heat of her hand in mine made my chest warm.

Another moan in my mouth, which I was pretty sure wasn't from anything I was doing, pulled me out of the moment. I broke from her again to see that Pete had moved his hands. He was on his knees, bending over her a bit, rubbing her ass with both hands.

Uncertainly pulled at me again. I had to be sure.... "Bella?" I kissed her forehead as she opened her eyes. "I... do you want me to go? So you and Pete...."

"What? No!" She tightened her hold on my hand and grabbed my shoulder with her other hand. "No, I...." She blinked rapidly as she stared at me. "No. I like you both," she finished quietly, looking embarrassed.

I had that same sensation I had earlier – that mixture of sinking and sailing. I wanted her to like me. That made me happy.

But I really wanted her to like me and _only_ me.

"Okay, it's okay." I removed my hand from her hair and brushed some away from her face. She was so pretty. And flushed and in my lap like this.... I just had to hope that whatever happened didn't ruin what we had.

She glanced down at Pete, hovering between her legs, and smiled. He took that as encouragement and, after squeezing her ass again, slid his hands around her hips to the zipper of her jeans.

"Is this okay?" he asked.

She nodded, her head bobbing against the arm of the couch. Nervous anticipation coupled with the proximity of her body to mine made me squirm a bit.

All three of us watched as Pete pushed up the bottom of her sweatshirt so he could get to the waistband of her jeans. He slowly undid the button and then grasped the tiny tab at the top of her zipper. As he pulled it down, the _zip_ sound seemed loud in the room, even over the sound of the TV.

I focused on the flat strip of pale stomach just above her waistband. It looked so soft. As if it was calling to me, I took our joined hands and moved them there, extending my fingers to draw light lines over her skin. She smiled up at me and I could tell she was trying to hold in a giggle.

"Ticklish?" I moved our fingers to her side and touched her with a little more force.

"No! No," she said, shaking her head. Except I didn't really believe her because her words came out in a breathless giggle. She let me play for a minute and then tugged on my hand, pulling it up to her chest. "Stop!" she gasped. I complied, distracted, because our hands were now resting between her breasts and my knuckles were pushed into one of them. I slowly started to rub the back of my hand against her, moving slowly closer to her nipple, which I could see hardening even through the fabric of her sweatshirt.

Pete had finished with her zipper and was starting to peel her jeans down her legs. She lifted her hips a bit so he could drag them off. I watched her panties and then the skin of her thighs come into view as he drew them down her legs. After he had moved out of the way and pulled them all the way off, dropping them in front of the couch, he resettled between her knees with his hands on her thighs.

The speed of my hand rubbing her breast increased as I looked at her. Her panties weren't very fancy – certainly not like the crazy lace things Kate had been wearing at the Spring Dance. They were blue and white-striped with three little buttons down the front. They made me think of something a sailor girl would wear and I immediately had a picture in my head of her wearing nothing but the panties and a little sailor cap.

I pressed my lips against hers, wanting to thrust my tongue into her mouth, but I settled for a bunch of quick little kisses; I really didn't want to miss what Pete was doing.

"Sweatshirt?" he asked, looking at me. His hands were still on her thighs, massaging gently, but he looked like he was ready to pounce on her. I held the top of her sweatshirt still with one hand while using the other to pull down her zipper. When I got to the bottom, I pulled the sides apart, revealing a faded, snug Pink Power Rangers t-shirt. She sat up halfway and I helped her remove the sweatshirt all the way. Pete took it from us and dropped it on the floor with her jeans. He reached for the bottom of her t-shirt, but she grabbed his hand before he could do anything.

"Uh uh, no way. I'm not going to be the only one taking stuff off, here." Bella looked from me to Pete, her hand still holding his.

I shrugged and grabbed the back of the collar of my long sleeved t-shirt. I drew it off and threw it on the pile of Bella's clothes; Pete's quickly followed.

As I sat there, the cold air in the basement hitting my skin, what we were doing suddenly became a bit more real... and unreal at the same time. We were half-undressed, all three of us, and it didn't look like anyone was going to speak up and say, "Stop." Pete's hands were creeping back up Bella's legs, angling for the little sailor panties, and I was trying to figure out what to do with mine.

"T-shirt now?"

Bella nodded and grabbed the bottom of it. She sat up all the way, her face about level with Pete's chest, and pulled it quickly off. She was wearing a navy bra that matched her panties. The skin of her back was pale and perfect. I brushed all of her hair over her shoulder before slowly running my hand down to the top of the top of her ass. She shivered as I drew it back up, my fingernails skimming across her skin. I added my other hand and did it again, amazed at how sexy the sight of her nearly bare back was. I was almost afraid to see her front.

Pete, it appeared, was transfixed on exactly that. He was staring, eyes locked on her chest. Bella leaned forward slightly and tipped her head up toward him. When he brought his lips down to hers, my hands tightened on her back. I loosened them quickly and watched as faint red marks faded away quickly.

I tried not to watch them – it just felt _wrong – _but couldn't look away. Their lips moved together slowly, his capturing her top and then bottom lips. I finally retrained my attention on her back, and how small it seemed under my hands, when I saw his tongue come out to brush hers.

Bella leaned a bit more toward Pete – and farther away from me – when he pushed both of his hands into her hair and held her head in place as they kissed heatedly.

To distract myself from them, I focused on her bra strap. There was no hook in the back; it must have been one of those ones with the little front clasp thing. I drew more lines with my fingertips before running my thumbs along the bottom of the strap. When I got to the place where it curved around her body, I hesitated for a moment, giving her a chance to move away from me, and kept going when she didn't.

My thumbs quickly came in contact with the bottoms of the cups of her bra. The material was very soft and what was under it was even softer. Keeping my hands on her, I twisted a bit, pulling my right knee up onto the couch between us. That made it easier to wrap my arms around her and run my fingers along the bottom of her bra as I did so. When my hands met at the center of her chest, I twisted my wrists a little bit and gently held both of her breasts.

She whimpered quietly into Pete's mouth as I swept my thumbs up and across her hard nipples. I could feel the plastic clasp under the tips of my fingers but really didn't want to undo it without being able to see what was happening. The contrast of her warm skin and the soft material of her bra was such a crazy turn-on and I really wanted to be in Pete's position so I could bend forward and taste her skin.

As if he could read my mind, Pete pulled back from her, panting slightly. When he looked down and saw my hands covering her, he not-so-subtly adjusted his jeans and I didn't blame him.

"Lie back, Bella."

She nodded and followed his instruction. I moved a little bit so that she could lie back as she had been before. When she looked comfortable, I finally looked at her. All of her. I was right, the sight of her like that almost undid me. The pressure I had been feeling in my stomach swelled and I knew I was close to coming in my jeans. I closed my eyes and rapidly thought of non-sexy things, trying to hold off embarrassing the hell out of myself in front of the girl who occupied my thoughts nonstop.

My eyes flew open at the sound of a particularly husky moan from Bella. All of the imagining of Bella's brother kicking my ass and Great-Grandma Whitlock without her teeth was almost wasted when I saw Pete had his mouth on her stomach, just above the elastic of her panties. His hand was between her legs, and when he moved his fingers, Bella convulsed between us. I quickly bent forward and covered her open mouth with mine. Her breasts, long the stuff of math daydreams, filled my hands as I slid my tongue in and out of her mouth.

Bella suddenly inhaled and held her breath under me.

"Bella?" I pulled back, wondering what was wrong. She exhaled the breath forcefully, her eyes rolling back. I looked down at Pete and saw immediately what had her all tied up. He had pushed aside the center of her panties and had his mouth on her. I subconsciously moved my hand to grip myself through my jeans. Pete's tongue was visible as he stroked her, and I could just see that he had two fingers lower on her, slowly rubbing and pushing into her. Her hips were starting to slowly lift off the couch toward his face and I started to rub myself in time with her thrusts, my other hand massaging her breast at the same pace.

"Pete, that's... _ugh_."

He paused for a moment to look up at her. "That good? Feel okay?"

"God, yes." Her eyes were closed and she was starting to arch her neck against my leg. "Please don't stop." She had her hands on his shoulders and her fingers were turning his skin red.

He returned his mouth to her, quickly finding a rhythm that she seemed to like. Wanting to see her breasts finally, I fumbled with the little clasp with one hand and finally had to abandon touching myself to use my other hand. I managed to get the thing unhooked and slowly drew the cups away from her skin, barely holding in a gasp when her pink nipples came into view. She was perfect.

I brushed my thumb over the bare, hard nipple, and watched it tighten under my touch. I leaned forward, being careful not to crush Bella's head, and very softly flicked my tongue over her nipple.

Her raspy, throaty, "Jasper!" had me palming myself again immediately. As I sucked her nipple into my mouth, I slowly started to draw down the zipper on my jeans. Being constrained was becoming more and more painful. I tried to do it carefully so Pete and Bella wouldn't notice, but even over the sound of her own voice, Bella must have heard the teeth of the zipper as they clicked apart.

"Let me," she panted, "do that." I tipped my head to see her watching my hand. I moved my hand away and twisted a little bit so that she would have easier access. I had undone the button and half of the zipper already and she quickly dragged it down the rest of the way.

She reached her hand into my boxers and then paused, her back arching off the couch.

"Bella, I can feel you.... Is it still okay?"

She nodded rapidly, looking down at Peter. "Yes, yes." Her back was still arched, her hand still in my shorts. I refrained from pushing my hips toward her to nudge her along. She was biting her lip and her neck was stretched out in pleasure; she looked gorgeous. My own pleasure was suddenly unimportant in the face of hers. I licked two of my fingers and brushed them around her left nipple as I took the right one into my mouth again.

"Oh, god, yes...." Her whimpering became steadier and steadier until it was almost a constant mix of our names as she twitched in our mouths and hands.

She finally froze and her head pushed back against my lap. One of her hands came up to scratch across my chest as she all but shrieked under us.

"God, so tight," I heard Pete mutter. The raw jealousy I'd been feeling all night throbbed through me again, in time with the shudders of Bella's body under my hands. It was stupid, and completely irrational – given the situation – that I was envious of Pete and his fingers and mouth, but I was. No matter what happened after tonight, he'd always be the first one of us to touch her like that.

I gently released Bella's breast as she relaxed, her breathing slowly returning to normal. I brushed a kiss across her forehead and pushed some of her sweaty hair back. "Was that okay?"

"Yes. I've.... Hell, Peter, where did you learn that?"

"Oh. Um. Anna Lopez had some very specific likes." He shrugged and looked embarassed until Bella mumbled something about telling Anna thank you. Then he just looked smug.

She moved a little bit and she and I both jumped when her hand, which was still in my boxers, came in contact with me. "Oh, sorry! I, uh, was distracted." She giggled and bit her lip as her fingers wrapped around me.

"Bella, you don't have to." I forced my eyes to stay open as I looked down at her, transfixed by the sight of her hand disappearing into my boxers.

"I want to, Jasper." She squeezed me gently as her hand slowly picked up speed. I really wanted to push my hips into her hand but was afraid that if I did so, I'd end up shoving her right off the couch.

I returned my hand to Bella's breast and was gently rubbing it when Pete's head brushed my hand as he leaned in to take her other nipple in his mouth. He was leaning on his elbow above her, his other hand massaging one of her thighs. As he gently lowered himself on top of her, her hand in my boxers faltered but didn't stop. Even though he still had on his jeans, once he was flattened over her and she'd drawn up one of her knees by his side, he slowly started moving his hips against her.

For a few minutes, our pants and moans filled the room as we again synched rhythms: my hand on her breast, her hand in my shorts, Pete pressing against her underwear. When I leaned to kiss her, our lips and tongues quickly adopted the same tempo.

"Okay, okay," she breathed into my mouth.

"What's wrong?" I asked as her hand slowed and stopped.

"Peter, get up." She pushed gently on his shoulder and he reluctantly and slowly moved away from her. He sank back on his knees and we both watched to see what she had in mind.

Bella sat up slowly, shaking her head a little bit. I tugged her bra, which was still hanging from her shoulders, off and threw it on top of the clothes pile. I noticed her shoulder stiffen the tiniest amount before she sort of tossed her hair back and off her shoulders; it looked like she was trying to squash down the shyness she usually exuded.

"Um." She glanced from one of us to the other. She looked confused and cute and I wanted to know what I could do to help her, but mostly I just wanted to kiss her. So I did. I ran my fingers up the back of her neck, into her hair, and tugged her face close to mine. When she moved toward me, I gripped her hip and pulled her whole body closer. I was a little startled when I felt her leg swinging over both of mine as I straightened out and leaned against the back of the couch. "This will do," she said into my mouth as her little ass came down to rest on my thighs.

"Hey, I don't mean to be a complete dickhead over here, but..." I licked Bella's lips and then looked at Pete. He had one hand in his hair, the other on his crotch, and was frowning as he watched us.

Bella's hand immediately went up, beckoning him toward us. "Come here." He crawled across the couch and she leaned toward him, her hand sliding into his hair as their lips met. Within seconds, they really started to get into it. I released her hair so that I could grip both of her hips tightly. I pulled her down my thighs until the thin strip of panties between her legs was pressed up against me. Even through the layer of panties and boxers between us, I could feel how wet and hot she was. I slipped my hand in between our bodies to touch her there for the first time.

She wiggled in my lap as I rubbed my fingers over her and pushed the striped cotton into her body. Her breasts were rubbing against my chest, her nipples grazing mine. I had never before wished so much for a second pair of hands.

"Oh, oh," she panted, pulling back from Pete's mouth and releasing his hair. She turned back to face me before leaning back with her hands on my thighs behind her. She started grinding against me in earnest, her eyes closed and mouth open.

"Jesus fuck," Pete whispered, watching her. I knew what he meant. Mostly naked Bella Swan was an overwhelming sight. He quickly took a breast into his mouth and I noticed his hand had resumed its previous activities on his jeans.

I threw my head against the back of the couch, squeezing my eyes shut as her rhythmic movements against me sped up.

"God, Jasper, I need-" she started.

"You need what, beautiful?" I gently squeezed the breast not in Pete's mouth. Her face was a picture of beauty, her cheeks a dark pink, her lips swollen from kissing. Her eyes were still closed as she pushed against me. I honestly didn't care what she needed – I would give her whatever it was.

"You, I need you. I _need_ you." She open her eyes and stared at me intently, her eyes bright as her body slowly stopped moving. "You," she whispered. I felt my eyes widen at the meaning of what she was saying. At least, what I thought she meant. This Bella I was seeing tonight was a bolder version of the girl I saw at school, and hearing those words from her surprised me. In a good way. Plus, I couldn't help but feel some excitement that she was saying those words to _me._

I glanced at Pete. He had pulled back at her words, his disappointment clear. He looked at Bella, then back to me, and nodded in resignation.

"Be right back," he said, hopping off the couch.

I extracted my hand from where it had been trapped between us and moved it around to Bella's ass. I'd long admired her perfect little ass and how it flexed under her jeans as she walked, and having it in my hand was surreal. In fact, the whole night was surreal. It had started the moment Bella had walked into the house with Jess Stanley and it didn't appear to be near returning to normal any time soon.

"Here." Pete reappeared on the couch next to us and held out something to me. I took the small blue package and read it: "Lubricated Latex Condom."

"Christ," I muttered. My head was starting to spin with how fast this was all moving.

"Jasper." I looked from the condom to Bella.

"Hey, what's wrong?" I straightened up, worried. Her cute mouth was bent in a frown.

"We don't have to do this, you know," she whispered. She released my thighs and clasped her hands together in between our bodies.

"What?" I was confused and very disappointed. All of a sudden, she looked so unhappy; she must have just realized this was a bad idea.

She looked at Pete and then me and then down at her hands. "I.... You look upset." She looked up and met my eyes.

"What? No, I'm not upset." I exhaled heavily and leaned back against the couch. I realized I actually _was _a little upset, but I wasn't going to tell either of them that.

"Then what's wrong?" Her voice was very small as she spoke.

"Nothing. Nothing's wrong." I rubbed her thighs softly.

"Bullshit, dude." I looked at Pete, willing him to just shut up, but he shook his head at me. "What's up?"

"Fine. I'm just worried that Bella," I looked at her, "_you _are going to regret this tomorrow. I don't want that."

"Oh, Jasper." She smiled and leaned into me, her bare chest pressing against mine as she tucked her head under my chin. "I won't regret it."

"You won't? How do you know?"

"Because I _want _to do this." She sounded sure but I had no idea how she could be. Unless she'd come here tonight planning to do this – which I couldn't imagine she had – she hadn't had very much time to think about what was happening. I didn't think she'd been drinking earlier in the night, but maybe she had and I just hadn't noticed. But whether she had been or not, I didn't want anything forcing her hand, including my own enthusiasm.

"You want to do this with _both_ of us here?" I knew that if she admitted she didn't want to, I was going to be very disappointed and Pete probably wouldn't talk to me for a month, but I really didn't want her avoiding me at school or hating me for the rest of her life. I'd rather take care of myself in the guest room upstairs than have her be upset with herself over something as stupid as this.

"Yes." She turned her head slightly and pressed her lips to my neck. "I do." Her lips moved slowly toward my jaw. I heard Pete sigh next to me. A quick glance showed that Bella's hand was running along the bulge in his jeans. Her fingers ran up his crotch to his belt as her lips continued to grace my skin. I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her closer to me. She managed to pull Pete's belt open before he replaced her hands with his own and quickly undid his button and tugged down his zipper.

He stalled and looked unsure what to do, but Bella jerked on the waist of his boxers. "Down." He raised his eyebrows at me. His head had to be spinning, too; she had basically said she wanted me, but she was clearly interested in Peter also. I had no idea what she had in mind, and he apparently didn't either, but I could tell he wasn't going to hesitate if she wanted him to get undressed.

He pushed his jeans and boxers down his thighs and I looked away quickly. It was one thing to be in a locker room and accidentaly catch a glance of another guy in the shower; it was a totally different matter to have a lap full of mostly naked girl with a mostly naked guy watching. I again contemplated stopping. I was no longer worried just about my relationship with Bella, but also my relationship with Peter, which was - all things considered - far more important to me. Was this going to make things weird between us? I had to really fucking hope not.

Bella moved slightly in my lap as she grapsed Peter in her hand and started stroking him. I released one of her hips as she twisted a bit to kiss him. Her right breast was brushing my chest and I cupped it and rubbed the nipple, watching her upper arm move up and down as she touched Peter.

He was groaning loudly into her mouth and she was letting out tiny little whimpers. Her hips had started to move again and her right hand was clutching my shoulder tightly as she rubbed against me. With the way she was rotated a bit to face Peter, the side of her neck was fully exposed to me and I took advantage of the expanse of pale skin. I gently kissed her ear and then made my way down her neck, pausing to lick and taste her along the way. She tasted unbelievable - better than she smelled.

Just as I was focusing on her collarbone - running my tongue along the ridge of bone - she pulled away from Peter and spoke.

"Jasper." Her voice was breathy and caught my attention. I kissed her neck once more before leaning back so I could see her face. "Are you going to use that?" She looked at my fingers that were wrapped around her breast and I saw that I was still holding the condom Peter had handed me. Peter let out a low, "Fuck." I noticed that he had covered her hand on him with his own; I didn't know if he was helping her or maybe keeping her from moving quite so fast.

"God, Bella, are you sure?" I was still torn between desperately wanting her to be sure and hoping she would stop the whole thing right there.

"Yes." She touched her lips gently to mine before moving herself back off my knees. She did it so quickly that I didn't have time to stop her. As soon as she was on her feet in front of me, she hooked her thumbs into the waistband of her little sailor panties and, her eyes locked on mine, started to pull them down.

I held my breath as she bared the rest of her body. Peter and I had been very closely examining Collin's magazines for many years, and between that and in-person views of Erin, Kate, and a couple of other girls over the past year, I had a decent familiarity with the female form. But that didn't stop the sight of Bella Swan's naked body, standing in front of me, from having me seconds away from making a mess of my boxers.

She stood still for a moment in front of us before I reached for her and pulled her back toward the couch.

"Wait." She stopped just before moving back onto my lap. I blinked in confusion before she said, "Jeans, silly." She squeezed my knee and I looked down, realizing that, yeah, I was still wearing my jeans.

I lifted my hips and pushed my jeans and boxers down and over my knees. They fell around my ankles, and I figured I could kick them off if I needed to. Heat was rising in my chest and face and I tried to ignore Peter. I focused on the naked girl and not naked me, and definitely not my naked best friend.

"Come here." Bella took my hands when I held them out to her, and climbed back onto my lap. I was surprised by how hot her skin was against mine.

As before, she turned her head and leaned toward Peter. Their lips met and she wrapped her hand around him again and started stroking. Bella was straddling me mid-thigh and I moved my hands from her thighs to her ass. I squeezed her gently as I pulled her until she was right up against me.

Peter was squeezing her breast as they kissed, and I pressed my face into her neck as she started to rub herself against me. She was wet and warm and slid against me easily. I moved one hand quickly from behind her to between her legs, running my fingers along her, trying to not press too hard in case she was still sensitive from Peter's mouth.

As I moved my fingers lower, I slid one into her and maybe because she wasn't expecting it, her hips jerked hard against my hand.

I still had my face in her hair when she pulled back from Peter a moment later. "Jasper," she panted.

When I straightened up to look at her, her face was flushed, her eyes were closed. She still had one hand on Peter, and her other hand was holding my neck.

The condom was still in my hand and I held it in between our bodies to open it. I gripped myself as I rolled the condom down. Crazy thoughts were running through my head. How the hell had I come over to Peter's for a simple hang-out and ended up naked with Bella _and _Peter, on a couch, seconds away from having sex with Bella? While Peter _watched_?

Once the condom was on, I looked back up at Bella's face. She was staring intently at my hands, her bottom lip trapped between her teeth. Sudden worry that I had misinterpreted whatever she had said about Newton stomped into my head and my heart sank. If this was her first time... god, I really didn't want it to involve two guys in a basement. Bella deserved so much better than what we were giving her. I felt my chest tighten with something like shame.

"Hey, Bella," I said quietly, holding her thighs to stop her movement.

"Yeah?" Her eyes moved back to my face and her tone matched mine.

"Um, this isn't...." I found myself hesitating before realizing it was lame to be embarrassed at this point. "This isn't your first time, right?"

"Oh." Her eyes widened slightly. "Oh, no! It's not." Her hair swirled around her shoulders as she shook her head. Relief somewhat lessened the knot in my chest.

I nodded and squeezed her legs before letting go of one. Inhaling a deep breath, I stroked myself down the condom, making sure it was on tightly. When I stole glances at Bella and then Peter, I found they were both watching me. Bella's hand was still holding Peter but had stopped moving. Before I could lose my nerve and call this shit off once and for all, I angled myself toward Bella, rubbing my tip along her before starting to push in slowly.

Her free hand clutched my arm and her head fell back as I entered her. Leaning forward to press my lips to her neck, I moved both hands around her body. I gripped her neck tightly in one hand, and settled the other on her lower back. Just as I was about to ease myself the rest of the way inside her, her fingers on my shoulder tightened and she pushed herself forward and all the way down.

Heat flooded my stomach at the sensation of her being all around me and I bit my tongue to keep myself from exploding inside her immediately.

We both stilled as we adjusted to the feeling of being so close to one another.

Bella was already panting lightly, her chest rising and falling against me. "Okay, Jasper." She moved her hips in encouragement, and even in this weird-ass situation, she felt better than I'd imagined. Peter's sounds, which were more regular now as Bella started moving her hand again, sounded far away even though I could see him out of the corner of my eye. All I could focus on was Bella.

It had been awkward with Erin, and better with Kate – particularly after the couple of times we'd hooked up during the summer – but neither had felt like this. Although, maybe it was just my feelings for Bella that made it seem better.

I wanted to keep her close as she moved on me, but didn't stop her when she turned to Peter to kiss him. His hand was immediately on her breast, pinching her nipple and rubbing hard, as her hand on him picked up tempo. I leaned my head against the back of the couch so I could watch them. Even though I wanted her mouth on me, her hands on me, her everything on _me, _I'd become much more comfortable watching them together. Maybe it was because I was inside her. Maybe it was that it just didn't seem to matter anymore.

I bit the inside of my mouth as Bella bounced in my lap while she made out with Peter. He had tangled his fingers in her hair and finally pulled back from her mouth so he could let out a quiet string of "hells" and "fucks."

"Bella, I'm...." He threw back his head as his words trailed off and his shoulders stiffened and then jerked. I looked down long enough to see that he'd grabbed his t-shirt from the floor and had saved making a huge mess on the couch or himself. Or Bella. Or me_._

Bella let go of him and he leaned forward to kiss her once more before collapsing back on the couch.

As soon as her attention was fully back on me, I kissed her hard. Our tongues immediately met in her mouth and I stroked hers insistently and rhythmically with mine as she started to move over me more quickly.

"God, Jasper, you feel really good." Her words, breathed into my mouth, tightened the ball of tension in my stomach. I squeezed her ass as she wrapped her arms around my neck. Seconds later, she shifted her mouth to my ear and whispered my name and that's what did me in. Bella Swan crying my name was more than I could handle.

My arms clamped around her as I thrust into her once more before pulling her hard against me. Releasing into her was a hundred times better than anything I'd experienced and I had to bury my face in her neck to somewhat stifle my embarrassing noises.

"Okay?" she murmured. Her hands ran along my shoulders and back as I tried to catch my breath.

"Very okay." Her pink cheeks lifted in a smile that made my heart skip harder than what we had just done.

"Well," Pete said, startling me out of my sex-haze. "That was... fun."

Bella giggled and pressed her face against my chest. "Um, yes."

The three of us rested like that for a few minutes and then Bella climbed off me to get dressed. I grabbed my own clothes and excused myself to the small bathroom in the basement. Bella and Peter were chatting when I rejoined them.

"I have to head home. Charlie is supposed to be home at 1:30 and I told him I'd be home before then." Bella sounded apologetic, but when I looked at the clock on the wall, I surprised to see it was so late.

"Okay." I took a step toward her and then stopped. I really wanted to kiss her good-bye, but felt awkward and unsure about what all of this meant for the three of us. Was I allowed to hug her?

"Do you want to take her, Jasper?" Pete straightened a cushion on the couch before looking at me. "I'll clean up around here while you're gone."

A glance around the basement didn't show much to clean up but Pete's overly casual tone said all I needed to hear. I raised an eyebrow, and he shrugged and winked. If he was offering, I wasn't going to pass it up.

"Okay. I'll be back in a few. You're not far from here, right, Bella?"

"Right." She smiled up at me before hugging Pete and kissing his cheek, which answered my question.

At the front door, Pete waited until Bella was off the porch before giving me a quick, "Take your time, dog." He waved to Bella and didn't bother to hide his grin before he closed the door behind us.

"Asshole," I muttered as we walked down the front step, but the relief I felt that Pete apparently wasn't going to pursue a relationship with her was nearly physical.

"What?" Bella looked confused and cute as I opened the door to my truck for her.

"Just Pete being Pete."

The drive to her house, which took less than ten minutes, was quiet. Every time I looked at Bella, she was chewing the ends of her hair and looking at me out of the corner of her eye. When I pulled up in front of her house, she let out a relieved sigh at the empty driveway.

"Safe!" she said, smiling at me.

I hesitated before following her to her front porch, but couldn't resist the extra few minutes with her. I also wanted to see if I could figure out what to expect come school on Monday.

We stood in the glow of the front porch light, watching one another, before Bella spoke.

"It was nice to see you tonight."

"You, too." I chuckled at the understatement of "nice."

"I was, um, hoping you'd be there, actually." She smiled up at me as she twirled some of her hair around her finger. I wanted to ask her why, if that was the case, she was all over Pete all night, but she seemed to anticipate it before I could decide if I should. "I... well, I didn't know if you liked me. And Peter's a really nice guy...." She shrugged and didn't quite meet my gaze.

"Hey." When she looked up, I moved closer and pulled her into my arms. "I do like you."

"Okay." Her smile was wide and bright.

We stood like that for a moment before Bella stepped away, glancing nervously at the street. "My dad...."

"No worries. I should head out before Pete calls the cops, anyway."

"My dad!" Bella said, giggling.

"Let's try to avoid that. I'll see you in Lit?" After she nodded, I took a small leap to see if I could figure out exactly what tonight had meant. "My grandfather gave me a guitar for my birthday and I've been learning to play, a bit... would you want to come over after school sometime this week and hang out? I could play a little for you?"

"Oh, I'd love that, Jasper!" She looked genuinely excited and my stomach did a funny flip-flop.

Emboldened by our confessions and my excitement, I dipped my head down to press my mouth to hers. She lingered for a moment, her soft lips moving against mine, before pulling back.

After giving her a last little hug, I turned and headed down the steps.

"Good night," she called after me.

I turned to see her in the open door, illuminated by the hall light behind her. "Night, beautiful."

The door swung closed a moment later, her smile and waving hand disappearing behind it.

I had no idea where this thing with Bella Swan would go, but that smile gave me hope there was more beyond book reports in Lit and basement threesomes.

* * *

**Legna puts up with my crazy. Poor girl actually read this multiple times. She deserves so many rewards for that. All errors you found are mine - I like to tweak stuff after she sends it back. I'm naughty like that.**

**P.S. If you're feeling even _more_ adventurous this evening, and this didn't kill your will to live, InstantKarmaGirl did me a solid and whipped up some Esmasper (you read that right) after I tweeted a desire to read some. It's called "Edward's Mom" and it's in my Favorites :) If you're feeling a little _less _adventurous (coughLaViePastichecough), IKG's "Ten Seconds at a Time" received a Judges' Mention in the FLJ contest; it is fantastic.**


	19. Heart

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**  
Prompt: Heart  
Pen name: ElleCC  
Pairing: Bella  
Rating: K

* * *

_**Heart**_

The weight of my grief pulls at me, threatening to drag me down and hold me under. My brother's arms are of little solace, but I cling to him and try not to kick too hard as he struggles to keep us both afloat.

It's powerful, this gaping hole torn in my chest; it leaves my heart exposed and vulnerable.

When I look up from the tight confines of the protective walls my brother has started to construct, _he_ is there.

With words and touch, he covers the hole.

Safeguards my heart.

Pulls me to the surface.

Helps me breathe.

* * *

**For the curious, this is a teaser for the collab LaViePastiche and I are working on for JAustenlover for Support Stacie. A very first look, shared with JA's okay.**


	20. Play

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**  
Prompt: Play  
Pen name: ElleCC  
Pairing: Jasper  
Rating: K+

* * *

**_Play_**

The body is swept up and tossed onto the fire before I'm ten feet away.

This one hadn't even struggled, which is not surprising; it's been years since any of them have. Thousands have met their second deaths in a veil of peace.

I have to admit it was more fun when they put up a fight.

As I pass a group that is due for termination, I contemplate being less heavy-handed next time. Maybe I'll let them challenge a bit. Maybe I'll let them feel their own rage as they die again.

Maybe then I won't be so bored.

* * *

**AU. You wonder why he didn't use his gift on his victims, don't you? I know I do. I'd love to sit down with SM and chat about it a bit.**

**LVP reviewed for me since I'm posting in the middle of the night and Legna isn't as crazy as I am :)**


	21. Vivid

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**  
Prompt: Vivid  
Pen name: ElleCC  
Pairing: Jasper  
Rating: K+

* * *

**_Vivid_**

_This is the last one_, I think. Each is worse than the one before, and the rent in what is left of my heart is severe.

When Peter pointed out that the days following a feeding are my worst, it started to make sense.

I have tried to control it – to control _them _– but those final moments are too overwhelming. Rather than dampen, I amplify, and we both suffer; their emotions come to life just as they die. They shroud me with tangible pain. It is bright, hot, damning.

_This is the last one_, I think_. It has to be_.

* * *

**This is sort of the flip side of "Play."**

**Daisy took a moment to look it over since it's still the middle of the night :) LVP batted around ideas with me. And Legna's the best ficwife ever.**


	22. Light

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**  
Prompt: Light  
Pen name: ElleCC  
Pairing: Jasper, ???  
Rating: K+

* * *

_**Light**_

Before even he realizes it, I know he is tired. The mental weariness is obvious in his now dull eyes.

On the field, he never fails or slows, but when we are out of sight of underlings and soldiers, he drops the mask.

I could easily go after them, and maybe should; my competence will be questioned.

But I know he is done. His desire – and effectiveness – has passed. And in this one case, I cannot destroy what I created.

I will leave him as he left me and hope that something can help his light, long since extinguished, return.

* * *

**It's a little like one of those black and white "figure-ground" images.... Is it a vase? Is it two faces?**

**Legna is incredibly smart. I am lucky to benefit from it. LVP gives me pats when I need them.**

**Three more to go... I'm not 100% sure I'll complete them, but we'll see!**


	23. Stagnant

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**  
Prompt: Stagnant  
Pen name: ElleCC  
Pairing: --  
Rating: K

* * *

_**Stagnant**_

They're sitting on "their rock," as they do after every hunt.

He breaks the silence unexpectedly. "What if we found out that what we thought was 'it'... you know, the 'end all, be all'... was not?"

"What do you mean?" she asks.

He thinks for a moment, eyes unfocused and distant. "Well. What if...."

He doesn't finish and she grows impatient. "Just spit it out." She twirls her fingers.

"I think there could be more." He glances at her long enough to read her blank expression. "Out there."

"I still don't understand."

"I know," he says, sighing. "That's the problem."

* * *

**Another Choose Your Own Adventure... Just roll with me, okay? :) **

**LVP pre-read and listened to **_**so much**_** whining. Legna gave me awesome ideas that I couldn't seem to make work in my head or on paper.**

**Two more...**


	24. Voracious

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**  
Prompt: Voracious  
Pen name: ElleCC  
Pairing: Jasper, Bella / Edward  
Rating: T

* * *

_**Voracious**_

It is nature that when a newborn awakens, it is hungry.

The destructive fire coalesces in the throat and signifies a need. A need that is no less natural than that of a human baby for its mother's milk.

This is what I remember. This is what all others have felt. This is what I know.

Until now.

The hunger is there; it pulses behind her confusion, her shock and awe. As she assesses her surroundings, it first wanes and then flares, overwhelming and fierce.

Intense.

Yet unexpected.

For it is not prey she craves.

She is hungry for _him_.

* * *

**Ooh, canon. **

**Thanks to Legna for **_**mucho**_** guidance on this one. Her story "The Good Mother" is currently up for voting in the Les Femmes Noires contest. Go forth and read.**


	25. Worship

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**  
Prompt: Worship  
Pen name: ElleCC  
Pairing: Jasper / Maria  
Rating: T

* * *

_**Worship**_

The moment is cloudy now, but clear enough to recount.

She seemed an angel when I found her.

Melodious voice.

Stunning grace.

With her dark hair and eyes, her oddly luminescent skin, she was beauty like I'd never seen.

When she made to take me, I think she sensed my fear and tempered her approach with gentle caresses and soothing words.

Her embrace was cold, yet it burned, as she laid claim, finally feral and aggressive.

She moved over me in ways I never knew possible, her touch bringing death and granting life.

She consumed me and I became hers.

* * *

**This is my version of Jasper's yada yada yada of his change on page 295 of _Eclipse_.**

**So, that's the end of these things. (For this round, at least.) Thanks so much to everyone who read and reviewed :) I had a lot of fun.**

**Legna was amazing from the first to the last. She encouraged and gave ideas and feedback. She's still the best ficwife ever.**

**LaViePastiche let me use some of our characters and patiently listened to me yap about these things all the way through FLJ and the collab we **_**just**_** finished. Oh, did I say that out loud? My bad... **

**Stay tuned.**


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